DOCUMENTATION AND ETHNOMEDICINAL KNOWLEDGE ON WILD EDIBLE MUSHROOMS AMONG ETHNIC TRIBES OF NORTHERN ODISHA, INDIA

ABSTRACTObjective: The objective of the present study was to document the diversity of wild edible mushrooms and their ethnomedicinal uses among differenttribes of Northern Odisha through field survey, questionnaire, and interviews.Methods: The study was conducted in the three adjacent districts of Northern Odisha. Collection was carried out in the month between June andDecember of 2014 from different habitats on the basis of local name of the mushroom, types of mushroom (edible or poisonous) and uses of themushrooms (as food or medicine) among the different tribal communities by frequent field visits and has been documented and identified.Results: The study revealed that more than 12 ethnic tribes of Northern Odisha were found to be mycophilia and have extensive traditional mycologicalknowledge. A total of 24 fleshy mushroom species were collected through field visits, out of which 19 species were found to be edible and wererepresented by 11 families and 11 genera. Among them, 14 species have been documented to have ethnomedicinal uses. The dominant mushroomsspecies belonged to genera of Volvariella, Termitomyces, and Russala. The study indicated that urbanization and changing lifestyles among the tribeshave declined the uses and consumption of wild mushrooms.Conclusion: There is urgent need to study and document indigenous knowledge systems to find innovative ways of tapping wild edible mushroomsfor the welfare of mankind otherwise they will remain hidden in the forest and might become extinct.Keywords: Wild edible mushrooms, Ethnic tribes, Northern Odisha, Ethnomedicines

Quantification and visualization of the variability of phytoplankton assemblage in a semi-lotic seasonal Canal in Sundarbans, India

Canals of Sundarbans in India are highly vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures which directly or indirectly impact the biological components of such ecosystems. Being at the base of the trophic pyramid, phytoplankton is exposed to environmental stressors and the impact will be reflected in the upper strata of the aquatic food chain. Hence, phytoplankton communities along with their interrelationship with environmental parameters were assessed in Bhetkimari canal, a semi-lotic system in Indian Sundarbans during June 2017 to September 2018. Seventy-seven species under 66 genera were recorded with Cyanophyceae (34%) as a major contributor, followed by Bacillariophyceae (31%) and Chlorophyceae (22%). Diatoms dominated round the year in terms of diversity (25 species) with maximum contribution from Pennales. ANOVA (post-hoc test) showed significant temporal heterogeneity (p≤0.05) in phytoplankton distribution in the canal. The Margalef richness index (d) and Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H′) were 2.59±0.43 and 2.26±0.59, respectively indicating that the environment is good and phytoplankton diversity in the system is moderate. Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, total alkalinity and nutrients (nitrate, silicate and phosphate) were the explanatory variables in shaping the phytoplankton assemblages in the canal, which was evident from Canonical correspondence analysis. The salient findings of this study can add to the existing knowledge on the abundance and d

Antimicrobial secondary metabolites of an endolichenic Aspergillus niger isolated from lichen thallus of Parmotrema ravum

A new 6-benzyl-γ-pyrone (1), named aspergyllone was isolated from the culture filtrates of an endolichenic fungus Aspergillus niger Tiegh, obtained from lichen thallus Parmotrema ravum (Krog & Swinscow) Serus, collected in India. 1 was isolated for the first time from an endolichenic fungus together with six other known metabolites identified as aurasperones A (2) and D (3), asperpyrone A (4), fonsecinone A (5), carbonarone A (6) and pyrophen (7). The compounds were tested against a panel of human, plant, food borne and fish pathogens. Aspergyllone showed strong selective antifungal activity against Candida parapsilosis (Ashford) Langeron & Talice, with an IC50 of 52 µg/mL. Aurasperone A and pyrophen showed moderate to strong antimicrobial activity inhibiting seven different test pathogens, being pyrophen active with IC50 ranging from 35 to 97 µg/mL.[Formula: see text].status: publishe

Isolation and Characterization of an Endophytic Fungus Colletotrichum coccodes Producing Tyrosol From Houttuynia cordata Thunb. Using ITS2 RNA Secondary Structure and Molecular Docking Study

An endophytic fungus isolated from healthy leaf tissues of Houttuynia cordata Thunb., an ethnomedicinal plant of North East India, showed a considerable amount of antimicrobial activity. The ethyl acetate extract of the fungal culture filtrates displayed promising antimicrobial activity against a panel of clinically significant pathogens including Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Bioassay guided purification of the organic extract using column and thin layer chromatography yielded a pure homogenous compound which was identified using spectroscopic methods (essentially by 1H NMR and MS) as tyrosol, a well-known phenylethanoid present in several natural sources. Besides, molecular docking studies against tyrosyl tRNA synthetases (TyrRS) of S. aureus (PDB ID: 1JIL) and E. coli (PDB ID: 1VBM), and CYP45014α-lanosterol demethylase (CYP51) of C. albicans (PDB ID: 5FSA) revealed tyrosol has a strong binding affinity with the enzyme active site residues. The fungus was identified as Colletotrichum sp. and characterized by its genomic ITS rDNA and ITS2 sequences. Phylogenetic analyses showed clustering of our isolate with Colletotrichum coccodes. Species of Colletotrichum are also reported to be plant pathogens. Therefore, to confirm the endophytic lifestyle of the isolate, ITS2 RNA secondary structure study was undertaken. The result indicated our isolate exhibited differences in the folding pattern as well as in motif structures when compared to those of pathogenic C. coccodes. The findings indicated that endophytic fungi harboring H. cordata could be explored as a potent source of antimicrobial agents