Antifungal Activity Of Some Species From Genus Coprinus (Basidiomycotina)
Badalian S.M., Gevorkian S.A.
Department of Botany, Yerevan State University, 1A Manoogian St., Yerevan, Armenia
At the present time interest to Higher fungi as a natural source of biological active substances was growing up. The Coprinus species are characterized by proteolytic activity (fibrinolytic, thrombolytic, caseinolytic). It is known about their physiological activity. From cultural liquid of Coprinus radiatus separated antibiotic with action on leukaemia in vivo. It is announced about the antitumor activity of Coprinus atramentarius and Coprinus comatus. This and other bibliographic data point to the actuality of the investigations of the physiological and biochemical peculiarities of the Coprinus species, as a prospective objects for biotechnology. Antifungal activity (AFA) of C. cinereus, C. comatus and C. atramentarius were investigated in vitro by joint-culture method against 10 test-micromycetes (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium simplicissimum, Penicillium jensenii, Penicillium chrysogenum, Fusarium sambucinum, Cladosporium atroseptum, Stemphylium botryosum and Hormiscium sp.). AFA was detected by the index of antagonism (IA) according to considerable formula. Three types of interactions were described: A - mutual growth stop; B - distant mutual growth stop; C - the priority of active component on the passive one. The expression of various reactions depended on bioecological properties of fungi and had a complex duration. In all variants macromycetes growth on micromycetes. Among them was active C. comatus (IA=30). Two other species C. comatus (25) and C. atramentarius (20) only with three (A. niger, A. flavus and P. jensenii) and with six filamentous fungi (A. niger, A. versicolor, P. simplicissimum, P. chrysogenum, F. sambucinum and S. botryosum) respectively, formed reaction of mutual growth stop. During the antagonistic relations noted some morphological changes of contacted hyphaes of Coprinus species (strands formation, intensive pigmentation). Among the filamentous fungi the highest activity demonstrated species from genus Aspergillus (IA=1-5), and less activity C. atroseptum.
Thus, the species of Coprinus expressed a high level of AFA, which let us to continue the investigation among them for reveal new antifungal metabolites and study their structure-activity correlation for estimate of their practical significance in pharmacology.