Mushrooms as Potent Sources of New Biofungicides

Abstract

Background: Microfungi are causal agents of numerous diseases and disorders of agricultural plants, farm mushrooms and animals as well as human, which results are serious global reduction of the food amount, decrease of life quality, the severe life-threatening diseases and enormous economic losses.

Methods: In spite of organism innate ability to combat against pathogens, in invasions of some pathogens, support of additional antimycotic agents to defence system is required. Nowadays, common "fighters" against the microfungi are numerous synthetic fungicides that, besides benefits, have also side effects on host and environment and can cause the development of fungicide resistance in the pathogens. Therefore, the creation of new natural fungicides with different modes of action, strengthening the defense system and increase of organism resistance to pathogens are the main requirements of modern society.

Results: Numerous mushrooms produce chemically various intra- and extracellular metabolites with antifungal potential, among which the most potent ones are polysaccharides, proteins, and phenolic compounds. They act as immunostimulators, inhibitors of pathogen development and virulence and/or activators of pathogens` autolytic system.

Conclusion: Therefore, mushroom-based antimycotic agents could be successfully applied in the diseases treatments as accessories or alternatives to commercial therapies and in such a way contribute to environmentally friendly combat against pathogens, i.e. decrease or complete substitution of commercial synthetic fungicides with natural ones.

Keywords: Antifungal activity; extracts; glucans; mushrooms; phenols; proteins.