Mushroom fungi secrete antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral bioactive compounds of therapeutic and pharmacological value. Very limited work has been done on the exploration of antimicrobial principles from macrobasidiomycetes against plant pathogens. In this view, a study was proposed to screen eight mushroom fungi viz., Auricularia polytricha, Coprinus comatus, Ganoderma lucidum, Volvariella volvaceae, Lentinus edodes, Pycnoporus sanguineus, Schizophyllum commune, Trametes versicolor against spore germination and mycelial growth of Colletotrichum capsici , the fruit rot pathogen of Chilli and to extract antimicrobial molecules from the selected mushroom fungi using different solvents viz., Chloroform, Diethyl ether and Ethyl acetate. Results from dual culture technique revealed that Ganoderma lucidum, Auricularia polytricha and Lentinus edodes showed maximum antifungal activity by inhibiting the mycelial growth of C. capsici (54.81%, 53.70 % and 45.55% respectively) with maximum inhibition zone of (4.86 mm, 2.86 mm and 4.86 mm respectively). Though the Chloroform, Diethyl ether and Ethyl acetate fractions of G. lucidum cell free extracts inhibited spore germination of C. capsici both at 12 and 24 hours, maximum inhibition of spore germination was observed at 24 hours. Among the mushroom fungi, the chloroform extracted fractions followed by Diethyl ether and Ethyl acetate fractions of G. lucidum cell free culture filtrates exhibited maximum inhibition of spore germination of C. capsici (inhibition of 88 %, 79% and 78 % respectively) at 24 hours. Similarly, maximum inhibition of mycelial growth of C. capsici with 40 %, 34.07% and 29.25 % inhibition respectively was recorded in the chloroform extracted fractions followed by Diethyl ether and Ethyl acetate fractions of G. lucidum cell free culture filtrates when compared to solvent extracted fractions of L. edodes and A. polytricha by agar well diffusion technique. The chloroform extracted metabolite of G. lucidum followed by Ethyl acetate and Diethyl ether fractions at 2000 ppm concentration inhibited maximum mycelial growth of C. capsici (60.55 %, 58.88 % and 55.47 % respectively). It is well proven that chloroform extracted fractions of G. lucidum possess antimicrobial activities against the growth of C. capsici. Hence, further studies towards the identification of these compounds will pave for development of fungicides against C .capsici.

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