Abstract:
Many mushroom species are known to produce bioactive compounds with fungicidal, herbicidal, pesticidal and insecticidal properties, but they remain underutilized. This study examines the potential of using native mushroom species from Zimbabwe as mycopesticides and antifungal agents. The first part of the study focused on the anti-Candida properties of five native mushroom species from Zimbabwe, including the non-edible varieties Russula sp., Amanita rhopalopus, and Boletus sp., as well as the edible Cantharellus miomboensis and Cantharellus symoensii. Agar disc diffusion tests revealed varying degrees of antifungal activity, with Cantharellus symoensii exhibiting the most potent effect, producing a 16.6±0.4 mm zone of inhibition against the fungal pathogen Candida albicans. The study also found that ethanol and chloroform were more effective solvents for extracting the anti-Candida compounds compared to aqueous extracts.
The second part of the study investigated evaluating the insecticidal characteristics of the mushroom species Amanita rhopalopus against the common house fly, Musca domestica. Flies were exposed to various extracts of the mushroom, and the results showed that the extract with the greatest solvent extraction had 100% mortality within 5 minutes, comparable to a commercial insecticide. This suggests the mushroom could be a promising candidate for developing mycopesticides.
Overall, this research supports the hypothesis that mushrooms from Zimbabwe possess both insecticidal and antifungal properties, highlighting their potential for developing novel mycopesticides and antifungal medications. The findings underscore the need to further explore the underutilized bioactive potential of native mushroom species
