Molecular Identity and Antimicrobial Profile of Trametes species Collected from the Teaching and Research Farm of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria

Aims: The present study investigated the identity, antimicrobial, and secondary metabolites profile of Trametes species collected from forest near the Teaching and Research farm of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State.

Methodology: The Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS 4 and ITS 5) of the mushroom nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) was used in its identification. Extracts of the mushrooms were prepared using methanol and acetone as extracting solvents. The phytochemical profile of the extracts was assessed quantitatively and qualitatively. The antimicrobial potential of the extracts on clinical and typed microbial cultures was assessed using standard microbiological techniques.

Results: The gene sequence of the Trametes species collected was observed to be 99% close to the gene sequence of Trametes lactinea from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of saponin, tannins, flavonoid, steroid, terpenoid, and cardiac glycosides in all the extracts. Cardiac glycoside was the most abundant in the extracts (23.183 and 19.138 mg/g in acetone and methanol extracts respectively), while flavonoid had the least content (7.008 and 7.854 mg/g in acetone and methanol extracts respectively). The extracts exhibited varying antibacterial and antifungal properties. Methanol extract of T. lactinea at concentration of 50 mg/ml exhibited a better antibacterial (28.17 mm against Staphylococcus aureus) and antifungal activity (35.33 mm against Aspergillus flavus).

Conclusion: Findings from this study show that extracts of Trametes lactinea indigenous to Akure is a potential source of natural antibacterial and antifungal agents which could be very useful in the treatment of infectious disease.