Evaluation of the Mineral, Amino Acid and Antimicrobial Properties of Raw and Fermented Trametes elegans

Mushrooms are known to be sources of food and bioactive compounds with medicinal properties. In this study, the mineral, proximate, amino acid and antimicrobial properties of a wild macrofungus, Trametes elegans was investigated. Standard methods were used to evaluate the mineral, proximate and amino acid content of raw and fermented T.elegans. By soaking in methanol and acetone, extracts from the macrofungus’s powdered fruiting bodies were obtained. Using common microbiological methods, the macrofungus extracts’ antimicrobial activity was assessed on test isolates. In addition, isolation and identification of microorganisms associated with raw and fermented T. elegans was done using standard microbiological techniques. The physicochemical parameters (Temperature, pH and Total Titratable Acid) were also monitored during solid and liquid state fermentation of Trametes elegans. The concentration of carbohydrate (70.24±0.33) was higher in the raw sample, while moisture (3.22±0.13), fat (1.85±0.04) and protein contents (22.48±0.09) were higher in sample subjected to solid fermentation. Also, crude fibre (6.68±0.76) and Ash (3.60±1.39) were higher in sample subjected to liquid fermentation. The micro elements analysed are zinc and iron and macro elements are potassium, magnesium and phosphorus and their values increased in fermented Trametes elegans. Analyses of both essential and non-essential amino acids were conducted. The most common amino acids found in all of the samples examined were glutamic acid, leucine, arginine, and aspartic acid. Cysteine and methionine are the least abundant. The amino acid scores were determined by ratio of the milligrams of amino acid per gram of test protein to the milligrams of amino acid per gram in the reference pattern. The results showed that methionine had the lowest score in the raw sample (3.14) and tryptophan had the highest score (18.17) in T. elegans that had undergone solid fermentation. Methanol and acetone extracts inhibited all test isolates except Lactobacillus plantarum. The commercial drug exhibited higher antibacterial activity compared to the extracts, with a significant difference (P≤ 0.05). The inhibitory zones ranged from 5.50 mm against Bacillus subtilis to 18.13 mm against E. coli. The range of the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was 12.5 to 50 mg/mL, while the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 12.5 to 50 mg/mL. In light of this findings, T. elegans, could be considered as potential sources of natural antimicrobial and can also be relevant for use as food supplements in animals and man.