AccScience Publishing / MI / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/MI026160037
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Antifungal and bioactive potential of Pleurotus ostreatus cultivated on agro-waste substrates with molecular identification and functional characterization

Olagunju Johnson Adetuwo1* ,  Soji Fakoya1 ,  Faith Naomi Ogundana2 ,  Titilayo Adejoke Abeegunrin1
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1 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria
2 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria
MI, 026160037 https://doi.org/10.36922/MI026160037
Received: 17 April 2026 | Revised: 25 May 2026 | Accepted: 4 June 2026 | Published online: 14 July 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

The rising incidence of antifungal resistance among clinically relevant pathogens such as Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus necessitates the discovery of novel, sustainable bioactive compounds. Edible mushrooms are promising sources of antimicrobial agents; however, the influence of cultivation substrates on their antifungal potential remains insufficiently explored, particularly in tropical systems. This study evaluated the antifungal and bioactive properties of Pleurotus ostreatus cultivated on three agro-waste substrates (Gmelina sawdust, oil palm fruit fiber, and cassava peels) in Nigeria. Molecular identification using ITS, LSU, and RPB2 markers confirmed species identity. Extracts were evaluated for antifungal activity against C. albicans and A. fumigatus, alongside antibacterial and antioxidant assays. Results demonstrated that substrate type influenced mycochemical composition and antioxidant activity. Mushrooms cultivated on cassava peels gave the highest phenolic content and antioxidant activity, corresponding with enhanced antifungal efficacy. Ethanol extracts showed stronger antimicrobial activity and lower minimum inhibitory concentrations than aqueous extracts, indicating the role of moderately polar bioactive compounds. These findings establish a direct link between substrate composition, metabolite production, and antifungal activity, highlighting substrate-driven metabolic modulation as a key determinant of bioactivity. This study positions agro-waste cultivated P. ostreatus as a sustainable source of antifungal agents and supports substrate optimization as a scalable strategy for natural product discovery. Future integration of metabolomics and genome-guided approaches will be essential to elucidate active compounds and mechanisms of action.

Keywords
Antifungal activity
Antioxidant activity
Aspergillus fumigatus
Candida albicans
Microbiome
Natural products
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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