ETHNO MYCOLOGICAL SURVEY AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF MUSHROOM EXTRACTS AGAINST ESCHERICHIA COLI AND STAPHYLOCOCCUS EPIDERMIDIS FROM PAPUA NEW GUINEA

John K Nema, Stewart Wossa, Edwin Costillo, Basil Marasinghe, Jeyarathan Pooranalingam and Russell Barrow

Abstract: An ethno – mycological survey of more than 60 edible and non edible mushroom species was undertaken in the Siane area of Simbu Province in Papua New Guinea to establish the scientific merits of the ethno mycological knowledge of the Waefo tribe. Ethno mycological information obtained was used as a guide to prepare mushroom extracts of the Polyporaceae family. The concentrated mushroom extracts were tested for their antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis using a 96 well plate method at the Research School of Chemistry Australian National University. The results showed that the extracts (KMsp001 and KMsp002) were proven to be moderately active against S.epidermidis with a growth inhibition of 34 and 47 percent respectively and KMSp 002 was also active against E.coli with growth inhibition of 26 percent.

Keywords: Ethno-mycology, growth inhibition, Polypore extracts, S.epidermidis, E.coli.

Pages: 97 – 103 | Full PDF Paper