Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities and Chemical Composition of Submerged Cultivated Mycelia of Laetiporus sulphureus

Bioactivities and Medicinal Value of the Fruiting Body Extracts of Laetiporus sulphureus and Meripilus giganteus Polypore Mushrooms (Agaricomycetes)

In the present investigation methanol and acetone extracts of basidiocarps of mushrooms Laetiporus sulphureus and Meripilus giganteus were evaluated for their antimicrobial, cytotoxic and antioxidant/prooxidant effects. The antimicrobial potential was determined by the microdilution method against ten microorganisms. Cytotoxic effects were evaluated by MTT test, while changes of the redox status parameters (superoxide anion radical, nitrites and reduced glutathione) were determined spectrophotometrically on a human colorectal cancer cell line and human health fibroblasts cells. The results were measured 24 and 72 h after the treatment. Tested extracts exhibited moderate antimicrobial activity with MIC values from 0.004 to 20 mg/mL. The maximum antimicrobial activity was found in the methanol extracts of the M. giganteus against Bacillus subtilis, which was better than positive control. The acetone extract of M. giganteus with IC5072h = 13.36 μg/mL showed significant cytotoxic effect with strong cell selectivity (selectivity index = 37.42) against cancer human colorectal cancer cells. The tested extracts, especially M. giganteus acetone extract, induced an increase in oxidative stress parameters in tested cell lines, but significantly heightened it in human colorectal cancer cells. The obtained results suggest that these extracts, especially M. giganteus acetone extract, can be proposed as a novel source of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.

The Possibility of Using Sulphur Shelf Fungus (Laetiporus sulphureus) in the Food Industry and in Medicine—A Review

Sulphur shelf fungus (Laetiporus sulphureus) has so far been largely underestimated as a potential raw material for the food industry. Many studies have demonstrated that the extracts obtained from this mushroom and some of their components have positive effects on human health. They have antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer properties and regulate human metabolism and digestive processes. Water extracts also have this effect. In addition, the substances contained in this mushroom have the ability to preserve food by inhibiting the growth of undesirable microorganisms. These properties have led to the situation that in some countries, shelf sulphur fungus is legally recognized as a raw material that meets the requirements of the food and processing industries. This paper is a review of the latest information (mainly for the period 2016–2023) on the chemical composition and the possibility of using L. sulphureus in the food industry and in medicine.

Ciprofloxacin increased abundance of antibiotic resistance genes and shaped microbial community in epiphytic biofilm on Vallisneria spiralis in mesocosmic wetland

This study investigated the fate of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in wetlands dominated by Vallisneria spiralis. About 99% of CIP was degraded from overlaying water within 4 days of treatment but significantly inhibited the nutrient removal capacity (TN, TP, and COD) by causing a drastic reduction in microbial aggregation in epiphytic biofilm and bacterial biodiversity. CIP triggered resistance mechanisms among dominant bacteria phyla such as Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Planctomycetes causing their increased relative abundance. Additionally, the relative abundances of eukaryotic microorganisms (including; Chloroplastida, Metazoa, and Rhizaria) and 13 ARGs subtypes (including; Efflux pump, Tetracycline, Multi-drug, Rifampin, Beta-lactam, Peptide, Trimethoprim) were significantly increased. While dominant metabolic pathways such as Carbohydrate, amino acid, energy and nucleotide metabolism were inhibited. This study revealed that V. spiralis has great sorption capacity for CIP than sediment and though CIP was effectively removed from the overlying water, it caused a prolonged effect on the epiphytic biofilm microbial communities.