A scientific group has discovered a new type of mushroom in a national park in southern Ecuador, which is believed to have antibacterial potential, particularly to inhibit bacteria that cause diseases such as diarrhoea, pneumonia and meningitis.
As reported on Friday by the National Institute of Biological Diversity (INABIO) in Ecuador, is “Glueucystydillum luganins”Mushrooms and corticoid-stimulating agents with antibacterial potential against Escherichia coli.
The discovery was made by researchers from Inabio and Universities Técnica Particular de Loja (TPL) in Ecuador and the Belgian universities of Leja and Leuven.
The discovery was made in the Cajanuma sector of Podocarpus National Park, a biodiversity reserve in the Andes province of Loja, in the south of the country.
Detectives Andrea Jaramillo-Riofrio, Connie DeCock, Juan Pablo Suarez, Ángel Benitez, Gabriel Castillo and Dario Cruz in detail in a scientific publication new species and stated that it “showed antibacterial activity against all four species of Escherichia coli”.
Inabio noted that the fungus’ inhibitory effect on bacteria “may be due to the fact that these pathotypes of E. coli are less virulent and resistant.”
It also developed that pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, cause infections and cause public health problems, due to a high rate of genetic changes, resistance mechanisms, or incorrect and excessive use of antimicrobials in treatment.
In addition, he explained that “the resistance of bacteria to antibiotics increases infection rates, for example, Gram-negative bacteria affect 61.3% of infections, “Gram-positive” (34.8%), yeasts (2%) and other pathogens ( 1.9%), especially in developing countries.”
He added that the family of Enterobacteriaceae, or Gram-negative bacteria, “is the largest heterogeneous group of clinical importance and causes infection in humans, mainly by genera such as Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Proteus, Serratia, Shigella, and Salmonella.”
“Of these infections, 80 percent are related to urinary tract infections, pneumonia, diarrhoea, meningitis, sepsis and endotoxin shock,” Inabio also stated, when referring to the human health potential of the new species of mushroom found in Podocarpus National Park.
The institute added that Ecuador, which is considered one of the most diverse countries on the planet, has a great diversity of mushroom species that requires taxonomic investigation, due to its bioactive potential and potential applications in areas such as human health.
“Mushrooms constitute a promising group of interest for research on bioactive compounds, in addition to being an extremely diverse group of organisms, with an estimate of between 1.5 million and five million, of which only a small fraction (one hundred thousand) are described,” Inabio stressed.
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