Mwita, Liberata N.; Mshandete, Anthony M.; Lyantagaye, Sylvester L.
Description:
The Tanzanian edible mushroom species Coprinus cinereus was grown on sisal waste substrates
supplemented with chicken manure with the aim to evaluate the effects of the chicken manure
supplement on the antimicrobial activity of the mushroom’s extracts. Crude ethyl acetate extracts were
prepared from the mushroom’s fruiting bodies harvested at pre-capping, capping and post capping
stages, and the extracts were tested for antimicrobial activity, using the agar well method. The
antimicrobial activity was observed only in capping and post capping stages of the mushrooms and the
activity generally increased with increased percentage of manure supplementation. These findings
show that Tanzanian edible C. cinereus mushroom contains antimicrobial compounds and chicken
manure could be used in the cultivation of the mushroom to increase the production of active
secondary metabolites, which could be used as lead compounds for discovery of new and more
effective drugs against microbial infections.