Determination of Antimicrobial Activity of Extracts of Indigenous Wild Mushrooms against Pathogenic Organisms.

Objective: This study has investigated the antimicrobial activity of extracts of indigenous wild mushrooms against selected organisms.

Methods: Thirty-five (35) indigenous wild mushrooms were collected from Arabuko-Sokoke and Kakamega National Reserve Forests, Kenya. All mushrooms were identified and their contents were extracted and screened for their antimicrobial activities against (clinical isolate) (ATCC 13883), (clinical isolate), (ATCC 27853), (ATCC 25923), MRSA (ATCC 33591), (clinical isolate), and (ATCC 90018) using tetrazolium microtiter plate bioassay method.

Results: Of the 35 tested mushroom extracts, extracts of three (3) mushrooms, namely, spp. (Arabuko-Sokoke forest), , and spp. (Kakamega forest), have shown promising antimicrobial activities against the tested organisms. The (ATCC 25923), (ATCC 27853), and Methicillin-Resistant (MRSA) (ATCC 33591) were the most susceptible to chloroform extract of spp. collected from Arabuko-Sokoke forest. Of the tested organisms, (ATCC 25923) was the most susceptible whereas was the most resistant organism to the hot water extract of spp. collected from Arabuko-Sokoke forest. Chloroform extract of spp. has shown the highest antibacterial activity against (ATCC 25923), MRSA (ATCC 33591), and (ATCC 13883) but limited activity against . All extracts of the three wild mushrooms have shown the most antibacterial activities against (ATCC 25923).

Conclusion: The present study has shown that the extracts of the three wild mushrooms have shown promising antimicrobial activities against the tested organisms.