Planta Med 2012; 78(16): 1707-1718
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1315370
Reviews
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

A Review on Antimicrobial Activity of Mushroom (Basidiomycetes) Extracts and Isolated Compounds

Maria José Alves
1   CBQF-Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa Porto, Porto, Portugal
2   Centro Hospitalar de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro-Unidade de Chaves, Chaves, Portugal
3   CIMO-Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Bragança, Portugal
4   Escola Superior de Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal
,
Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira
3   CIMO-Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Bragança, Portugal
,
Joana Dias
4   Escola Superior de Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal
,
Vânia Teixeira
4   Escola Superior de Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal
,
Anabela Martins
3   CIMO-Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Bragança, Portugal
,
Manuela Pintado
1   CBQF-Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa Porto, Porto, Portugal
› Institutsangaben
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

received 03. Juli 2012
revised 08. August 2012

accepted 22. August 2012

Publikationsdatum:
21. September 2012 (online)

Preview

Abstract

Despite the huge diversity of antibacterial compounds, bacterial resistance to first-choice antibiotics has been drastically increasing. Moreover, the association between multiresistant microorganisms and nosocomial infections highlight the problem, and the urgent need for solutions. Natural resources have been exploited in the last years and among them, mushrooms could be an alternative source of new antimicrobials. In this review, we present an overview of the antimicrobial properties of mushroom extracts and highlight some of the active compounds identified, including low- and high-molecular weight (LMW and HMW, respectively) compounds. LMW compounds are mainly secondary metabolites, such as sesquiterpenes and other terpenes, steroids, anthraquinones, benzoic acid derivatives, and quinolines, but also primary metabolites such as oxalic acid. HMW compounds are mainly peptides and proteins. Data available from the literature indicate a higher antimicrobial activity of mushroom extracts against gram-positive bacteria. Among all the mushrooms, Lentinus edodes is the most studied species and seems to have a broad antimicrobial action against both gram-postive and gram-negative bacteria. Plectasin peptide, obtained from Pseudoplectania nigrella, is the isolated compound with the highest antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria, while 2-aminoquinoline, isolated from Leucopaxillus albissimus, presents the highest antimicrobial activity against gram-negative bacteria.