Antimicrobial and Antioxidant properties of medicinal mushroom Ganoderma P. Karst

Ganoderma species have been known all over the world as highly medicinal mushrooms. Antimicrobial activity of it is an attractive approach which raises the global interests from the scientific community. In this study, the antimicrobial assay of ethanol and methanol extracts of Ganoderma were prepared by using the dried mycelial powder obtained from five different liquid media; was performed against seven plant pathogenic fungi viz., Alternaria macrospora, Aspergilus niger, A. flavus, Colletotrichum falcatum, Fusarium oxysporum, Pestalotiopsis mangiferae and Penicillium sp. and two plant pathogenic bacteria Xanthomonas oryzae and Ralstonia solanacearum. The extracts of mycelia obtained from Yeast Wine Media exhibited the highest inhibition percentage as compared to rest. At concentration 1000ppm, there was complete inhibition of mycelial growth for Alternaria macrospora, Aspergilus niger and A. flavus while for Fusarium oxysporum and Penicillum sp. complete inhibition was observed at 500ppm but for Colletotrichum falcatum and Pestalotiopsis mangiferae, more than 80% mycelial inhibition at concentration 1000ppm in both ethanol and methanol extracts. In the case of Xanthomonas oryzae and Ralstonia solanacearum, at concentration 1000ppm, methanol extract showed the highest inhibition zone (3.50mm, 3.75mm). Ganoderma exhibited antagonistic effect against plant pathogenic fungi could add to the interest of developing Ganoderma as a successful bioagent in the near future. Antioxidant activities were evaluated by using DPPH radical scavenging assay and Metal chelating activity on ferrous ions. The DPPH radical scavenging effect was detected in methanol extract (Inhibition% = 27.312%) was higher than that of the ethanol extract (Inhibition% = 24.79%) and also Ferrous ion chelating ability of methanol extract (Inhibition% =22.27%) was higher than the ethanol extract (Inhibition% =12.55%). It is clearly indicated that both methanol and ethanol extract of the Ganoderma show antioxidant properties and Ganoderma extracts act as an effective antioxidant agents.