Australian Ganoderma: Identification, Growth & Antibacterial Properties
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Australian Ganoderma: Identification, Growth & Antibacterial Properties Submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Lyndal Margaret Roberts Environment and Biotechnology Centre School of Engineering and Science Swinburne University of Technology July 2004 i Abstract Ganoderma species are one of the most widely researched fungi because of their reported potent bioactive properties. Although there is much information related to American, European and Asian isolates, little research has been conducted on Australian Ganoderma isolates. Ganoderma may only be imported into Australia under strict quarantine conditions, therefore, the isolation of a native strain that possesses bioactivity may be industrially and commercially significant. Three Australian species of this wood-decomposing fungus were isolated in northern Queensland. In this study, they have been identified as three separate species. Further, they have been studied to determine their optimal growth conditions in liquid culture and assessed for their antibacterial properties. Phylogeny inferred from the Internal Transcribed Spacer Regions (ITS) from the DNA sequences resolved the three Australian Ganoderma species into separate clades. Two isolates were identified to be isolates of Ganoderma cupreum (H1) and Ganoderma weberianum (H2). The third isolate could only be identified to the genus level, Ganoderma species, due to the lack of informative data that could be used for comparison. The effects of short term and long term storage on the viability of the fungi were investigated on agar plates, agar slants and balsa wood at varying temperatures ranging from 10 to 45°C. The most appropriate storage conditions were determined to be –80ºC on balsa wood chips for periods of up to 2 years without subculture, and on agar slants at 4°C for up to a maximum of eight weeks. Light was observed to be detrimental to the survival of Ganoderma H1 and Ganoderma H2 during storage. Growth trials using potato dextrose agar plates determined the optimal temperature and pH for mycelial growth to be 30°C and a pH of 6, for all isolates. Subsequent growth trials in liquid media found that glucose, as the carbohydrate source, supported the greatest mycelial growth of Ganoderma H1 and Ganoderma H2 and that galactose and fructose supported the greatest growth of Ganoderma H3. Abstract ii Aqueous (hot water) and organic (hexane (HEX), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), methanol (MeOH)) extracts from the liquid cultivated mycelium were assessed for their antibacterial activity using disc diffusion assays. Extracts from the mycelium of Ganoderma H1 exhibited activity against a greater number of Gram positive bacteria than those from Ganoderma H2 and H3. Subsequent studies on the DCM and EtOAc extracts from Ganoderma H1 determined the MIC and MBC against a number of Gram positive bacteria, including Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis and Listeria monocytogenes, as well as Clostridium species, including Clostridium perfringens, C. sporogenes and C. difficile, and some methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. Time course growth assays confirmed that the DCM and EtOAc extracts predominantly exhibited bactericidal activity. Finally, the active compounds were determined to be terpenoid in structure with some phenolic groups attached. Abstract iii Acknowledgements A number of people have been instrumental in providing me with help, direction and support throughout this PhD journey. My principle supervisor, Professor Greg Lonergan, thank you for giving me the opportunity to discover the amazing world of fungi. Associate Professor Russell Crawford, your continued support and encouragement has been a source of inspiration. Thank you for not only being a fabulous supervisor but also for being a friend. Dr Enzo Palombo, you have been a fantastic mentor and I sincerely appreciate all your efforts in helping me achieve this goal. I also thank you for providing me with the opportunity to teach, an invaluable and rewarding experience. Thank you to all my colleagues and friends within the Environment and Biotechnology Centre, particularly Danni Tilmanis, you have all contributed in making this journey an enjoyable one. I would like to thank the CRC for International Food Manufacture and Packaging Science who awarded me my stipend, Mr Henk Voogt (Karunda, Queensland) who found these wild specimens growing in the Cairns State forest and Dr Brendan Smith (Division of Forestry Products, CSIRO, Canberra) who kindly offered with the identification and confirmation of the species. I send my love and many a thank you to all my wonderful friends, those friends I have known for a long time and those who I have made along the way. Thankyou for being so patient. Finally, I am ready to Party! My dear family, Mum, Dad, Karen, Sarah and Catherine. Thank you for your encouragement and for being so proud of my efforts. Your love and excitement has helped me believe in myself. The Gibbs family, especially Sandra and Phil, thank you also for the love and support that you have given me throughout this process. Finally, I would like to thank the most beautiful, gorgeous partner a person can have, Gerard Gibbs. Your constant love, patience and understanding have been my strength throughout this long journey. At last….. time will be our time. Acknowledgements iv Declaration I hereby declare, that to the best of my knowledge, this thesis contains neither material which has been accepted for the award to the candidate of any other degree or diploma, or any material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference is made in the text of the thesis, and; Where the work is based on joint research or publications, the thesis discloses the relative contributions of the respective workers or authors; I also declare that this thesis has been professionally edited, however, the extent of the editing addressed only the style and grammar of the thesis, and not its substantive content. ----------------------------------------- Lyndal M. Roberts Declaration v Table of Contents ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………...i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………...……..iii DECLARATION……………………………………………………… … iv TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………..v LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………….. ….xi LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………… .. xiii ANNOTATION……………………………………………………….. ...xvi CHAPTER ONE............................................................................................1 Introduction ...................................................................................................1 1.1 NATURAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY ..........................................................................2 1.2 KINGDOM FUNGI..................................................................................................3 1.3 BASIDIOMYCETES AS SOURCES OF BIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES................................4 1.3.1 Medicinal Basidiomycetous Fungi..................................................................5 1.3.2 Australian Ganoderma ....................................................................................6 1.4 AIMS OF THIS INVESTIGATION..............................................................................7 CHAPTER TWO...........................................................................................9 Literature Review..........................................................................................9 2.1 GANODERMATACEAE .........................................................................................10 2.1.1 Classification of Ganoderma.........................................................................10 2.1.2 History of Ganoderma...................................................................................11 2.1.3 Medicinal Ganoderma...................................................................................11 2.2 SYSTEMATICS OF GANODERMA ...........................................................................12 2.2.1 Molecular Systematics of Ganoderma ..........................................................14 2.2.1.1 Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) Regions.............................................15 2.2.1.2 Endonuclease Restriction Digestions ......................................................16 2.2.1.3 Isoenzymes ..............................................................................................17 2.2.2 Phylogenetic Analysis ...................................................................................17 2.3 PRESERVATION AND MAINTENANCE OF FUNGAL CULTURES..............................19 2.4 CULTIVATION OF GANODERMA SPECIES..............................................................20 2.4.1 Cultivation of Ganoderma to Produce Fruiting Bodies ................................20 2.4.2 Cultivation on a Solid Agar Medium ............................................................21 2.4.3 Cultivation of Ganoderma in Liquid Medium ..............................................22 2.4.3.1 Investigation of Growth Parameters in Liquid Culture ...........................23 Table of Contents vi 2.4.3.2 Effect of Culture Medium on Mycelial Biomass ....................................23 2.4.3.3 Effect of the Environment on Mycelial Biomass ....................................24 2.4.4 Investigation of Growth Parameters for Bioactive Compounds....................26 2.4.5 Effect of Species and Strain on Ganoderma Growth