Studies on immunomodulatory and prophylactic properties of some wild Nigerian mushrooms

Abstract

The prophylactic potentials of five Nigerian higher fungi – Pleurotus tuber-regium, Pleurotus pulmonarius, Termitomyces robustus, Fomes lignosus, Lentinus subnudus and their combination in equal proportion (mixture extract) were investigated. The ethanolic fungi extracts were tested on sets of albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) infected with selected bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonela typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus feacalis and Bacillus subtilis. Extracts were orally administered at 1.0ml concentration against 0.1ml/cfu microbial suspension intraperitoneally . Survival rates of the experimental rats were monitored. Mixture of these extracts exhibited significant level of prophylactic effect against all the bacteria in the host organisms.