Proximate analysis, antimicrobial activity, and in vitro growth of Podaxis pistillaris s.l.

Abstract

Podaxis pistillaris s.l. is a gasteroid fungus distributed in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. It is used in traditional medicine to treat dermatological problems, as food and for aesthetic purposes by some indigenous tribes, however, knowledge about its proximate composition and antibacterial potential is scarce in the literature. In the present study the proximate composition was evaluated, as well as the antimicrobial activity in Streptococcus agalactiae and Candida albicans using the disk diffusion method and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC); the in vitro mycelial growth in five culture media and three different pH, for the growth of Podaxis pistillaris. The results show that the carpophorus of the species is rich in proteins (15.2%) and carbohydrates (28.6%) and low in lipid content (0.5%). In addition, it presented growth inhibition in both microorganisms with the MIC technique at a concentration of 8.75 mg / mL for C. albicans and 6.25 mg / mL for S. agalactiae. In vitro mycelial growth was better when using Corn and Oat Agar at a pH of 7.0. This research reports the first proximate and antimicrobial study of a species with medical-nutritional potential from northern Chihuahuan desert.