Ganoderma Isolates Research Articles

Study of biomass production in different Ganoderma isolates collected from coconut and other related hosts in southern Karnataka

Study of biomass production in different Ganoderma isolates collected from coconut and other related hosts in southern Karnataka

Isolation, Identification and Cultivation of Ganoderma spp. and Evaluation of Their Efficiency in Inhibiting Plant Pathogenic Fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Alternaria tenuissima

Fruit bodies of three Ganoderma isolates coded by Has.AA-6, Has.AA-7 and Has.AA-8 were collected from the trunks of Poplar, Sidr and Apricot trees, respectively, from some districts in Salah al-Din Governorate. It was phenotypically diagnosed to the genus level depending on the shapes, colors and sizes of the fruit bodies as well as the internal tissues and basidiospores. Molecular diagnoses to the species level was carried out depending on the percentage of identical 5.8S rRNA gene sequences with strains of fungi in the World Genetic Bank at the NCBI. Ganoderma isolates identified as G. applanatum Has.AA-6, G. lucidum Has.AA-7 and G. resinaceum Has.AA-8, and recorded in the World Genetic Bank at the NCBI under the accession number ON834523.1, ON834541.1 and ON834527.1, respectively. The results of cultivation of Ganoderma spp. showed a superiority of the biological efficiency of the corn cobs supplemented with wheat bran, which were 27.73, 31.27, 31.64 and 32.07%, compared to unsupplemented this medium, as the biological efficiency reached 26.18, 26.67, 27.21, 27.22, and 27.22% for G. lucidum, G. applanatum, G. resinaceum and G. resinaceum 1049 respectively. The role of the filtrate, mycelium biomass and fruit bodies of Ganoderma spp. against the pathogenic fungi F. oxysporum and A. tenuissima was studied, the results showed that the extracts of all Ganoderma spp. have a significant superiority in inhibiting the growth of both pathogenic fungi compared to the control treatment, the alcoholic extract of G. resinaceum fruit bodies recorded the highest inhibition of the F. oxysporum and A. tenuissima in which the colonies diameters reached 3.21 and 2.4cm, respectively, while G. lucidum gave the lowest colony diameter of F. oxysporum and A. tenuissima, which reached 2.61 and 2.25 cm, respectively, compared to with a diameter of 8.5 cm for colonies of both pathogenic fungi in the control.

Morphological and molecular diversity of Ganoderma spp. causal agent of basal stem rot of coconut in Southern dry tracts of Karnataka

Morphological and molecular diversity of Ganoderma species causing basal stem rot of coconut in Southern dry tracts of Karnataka, India was carried out during 2016-17. A total of 20 isolates were isolated from Chitradurga, Chikamagalore, Hassan and Tumkur districts of Karnataka and were identified based on morphological and molecular characteristics. Sporocarps and diseased root bits were found as good source for isolation of Ganoderma. In all the isolates there were high variability in cultural, morphological and molecular characteristics. The dendrogram generated from the cultural and morphological characteristics showed clear variations among Ganoderma isolates and formed two main clusters, one cluster consisted of 13 isolates and another cluster consisted of 7 isolates. Several isolates showed 100 per cent similarity in the morphological characters regardless of their geographical origin. All the Ganoderma isolates amplified a fragment of 650 bp with fungal universal primers (ITS1 and ITS4). The ITS gene sequences of five isolates viz., CG1 (MK 681870), CG7 (MK681871), CG11 (MK681872), CG14 (MK681873) and CG20 (MK681874) were deposited in NCBI gene bank. Taxonomic comparison of the isolates with NCBI database proved that the isolates were genetically related to Ganoderma spp. with 80-100 per cent identity. However, all the tested isolates could not amplify G. lucidum species specific markers which indicate its absence in the region. The phylogenetic analysis of the Ganoderma isolates (ITS1 and ITS4) of coconut with other known species of Ganoderma from GenBank emphasized the close relationship with India, China and Sri Lanka isolates. The isolate CG1 grouped with Ganoderma carnosum (KR 733545.1) with 98.97 per cent identity which is isolated from Sri Lanka and CG14 and CG20 grouped with G. applanatum (MF 072395.1) and G. gibbosum (OM 350473.1) with 98 to 99 per cent identity and CG7 and CG11 isolates of coconut grouped into distinct sub cluster and clearly indicated the species diversity in Ganoderma infecting coconut in Southern Karnataka.

The Domestication and Cultivation of Ganoderma (Agaricomycetes) Medicinal Mushroom Species from Nigeria.

Commercial cultivation of Ganoderma species found in Nigeria does not exist. Four Ganoderma isolates (YCT-BKS, YCT-Q2, YCT-Q14, and YCT-Q18) collected in Lagos were tested for mycelia growth and cultivation in sawdust-based substrates. Internal transcribed spacer sequences (ITS1 and ITS4) from three isolates upon a GenBank BLAST search gave DNA sequence closest identities as YCT-BKS and YCT-Q14 = G. mbrekobenum and YCT-Q2 = G. enigmaticum. The mycelia growth rate was highest in YCT-BKS (1.2 cm/day), whereas the other three isolates averaged 0.7 cm/day. On substrate A (sawdust/water hyacinth, 7:3), the time to form primordia was 30 days for YCT-BKS, YCT-Q18, and YCT-Q14. YCT-Q2 and YCT-Q18 formed primordia (27 days) on substrate B (sawdust/sorghum, 3:2). YCT-BKS was the first to produce basidiocarp on substrate A (75 days after inoculation) and had the highest biological efficiency (BE) of 13.4%, followed by YCT-Q18 with BE of 12.1% on substrate B after 99 days. YCT-Q14 produced fruiting bodies after 92 days on substrate A, with a low BE of 7.0%. Results indicate the need to supplement sawdust (substrate C = 100% sawdust) to cultivate the Ganoderma spp. A mixture of sawdust and water hyacinth appears to be the best substrate among those tested. This is the first report on the domestication and cultivation of indigenous isolates of Ganoderma spp. from Nigeria on sawdust and water hyacinth. Water hyacinth is a noxious weed causing major problems in fresh waterways in Nigeria.

Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS)-based metabolomic analysis of mycelial biomass of three Ganoderma isolates from the Lower Volta River Basin of Ghana

In this work, we sought to determine the differences and/or similarities in the metabolite composition of the mycelial biomass of three ganoderma isolates (Ganoderma LVRB-1, Ganoderma LVRB-9 and Ganoderma LVRB-17) from the Lower Volta River Basin of Ghana. The cultured mycelial mass of the three isolates were subjected to DNA sequencing. BLASTn searches of the internal transcribed spacer. (ITS) sequences of the isolates were conducted in the GenBank and the data obtained subjected to ITS phylogenetic analysis. Thereafter, extracts of the cultured mycelial biomass of the three isolates were subjected to untargeted ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS)-based metabolomic analysis. A cursory examination of the total ion chromatograms of the isolates gave evidence of the differential levels of the metabolites present. Further analysis of the metabolomic data using multivariate analysis better captured these marked differences in terms of the presence and/or levels of the metabolites. Finally, four lanostane triterpenoids, namely ganoderic acid C6, ganoderenic acid A, Ganoderenic acid D and ganoderic acid G, together with two annotated compounds (ganoderic acids K and AM1) were detected in the mycelia biomass of the three ganoderma isolates from the Lower Volta River Basin of Ghana. The results provide the first ever metabolomic data on the chemical constituents of the mycelial biomass of ganoderma isolates from the Lower Volta River Basin of Ghana.

Species diversity of Ganoderma causing foot rot of arecanut in southern dry tracts of Karnataka

Aim: The present study was undertaken to study the morphological and molecular diversity of Ganoderma spp. causing foot rot of arecanut in dry tracts of Southern Karnataka. Methodology: A total of 20 samples isolated from diseased areca palms in three districts of Karnataka were identified based on morphological and molecular characteristics. Qualitative data of cultural characteristics were transformed into code and a binary matrix was generated. Total genomic DNA was isolated and ITS region was amplified using universal primers ITS1 and ITS4. PCR amplicon was directly sequenced and phylogenetic analysis was carried out. Results: The dendrogram generated from the cultural morphological characteristics showed clear variations among Ganoderma isolates causing foot rot. DNA amplification of Ganoderma isolates with fungal universal primers (ITS1 and ITS4) was observed at 650 bp in all isolates tested. Taxonomic correlation of isolates upon NCBI web proved that the isolates were genetically related to Ganoderma spp. with 89-99.49 per cent identity and confirmed the taxonomic identity of isolates used in this study. Interpretation: Phylogenetic analysis of arecanut isolates of southern Karnataka are distinct as evidenced by forming separate cluster. Based on gene homology, G. ryvardenni and G. casuarinicola are new species reported as causal agent of foot rot in arecanut from Karnataka. The ITS gene sequences of four isolates viz., AG3 (MN 784436), AG4 (MN 784437), AG11 (MN 784438), and AG20 (MN 78449) were deposited in NCBI gene bank. Key words: Arecanut, Foot rot, Ganoderma, Phylogeny, Species diversity

Ganoderma diversity from smallholder oil palm plantations in peatlands of Kampar District, Indonesia based on mycelia morphology and somatic incompatibility

Abstract. Hamzah A, Saputra R, Puspita F, Nasrul B, Irfandri, Depari NS. 2021. Ganoderma diversity from smallholder oil palm plantations in peatlands of Kampar District, Indonesia, based on mycelia morphology and somatic incompatibility. Biodiversitas 22: 16-22. Basal Stem Rot disease is caused by the pathogenic fungus Ganoderma boninense which has caused major economic losses in the palm oil industry. Ganoderma boninense has been reported not only infecting crops in the field, but also attacking at the immature phase of the plant even in the nursery. Studies related to Ganoderma diversity in oil palm plantations in Riau, Indonesia have not been widely reported. Ganoderma genetic diversity is important because its provide information regarding the mechanism of infection and the spatial distribution. The Ganoderma spp. isolates were collected from three blocks of smallholder oil palm plantation in Deli Makmur Village, Kampar District, Riau Province, Indonesia and brought to Plant Disease Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Riau University, Pekanbaru, Indonesia. This experimental research was conducted using six Ganoderma isolates (Gan1, Gan2, Gan3, Gan4, Gan5, and Gan6) on the parameters of colony diameter and growth speed, while for the parameters of the morphological diversity of Ganoderma mycelium and the diversity based on somatic incompatibility assay was carried out descriptively. The results of this study show that oil palm plants in smallholder plantations in Kampar District are infected by two groups of Ganoderma based on morphology characteristics using UPGMA dendrogram, but different among isolates based on genetically using somatic incompatibility assay. For the next confirmation, it is necessary to further identify whether the six isolates are different species using molecular identification.

Genetic diversity and structure of Ganoderma boninense isolates from oil palm and other plantation crops

Abstract. Purba A, Hayati R, Putri LAP, Chalil D, Afandi D, Syahputra I, Basyuni M. 2020. Genetic diversity and structure of Ganoderma boninense isolates from oil palm and other plantation crops. Biodiversitas 21: 451-456. Oil palm is an economically important plant, which one of the most important sources of vegetable oil in the world. However, oil palm plantation and other crops face the treat basal stem rot (BSR) disease by Ganoderma boninense. A study on genetic diversity and structure of G. boninense is therefore needed in order to formulate improved control strategies for this disease. This work aimed to analyze the genetic diversity and structure of the G. boninense isolates derived from different hosts, 131 oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), six rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), three coconuts (Cocos nucifera), and three lontar palm (Borassus flabellifer). Genetic diversity and population structure of G. boninense isolates were investigated using six SSR markers with GenAlex 6.502 software. Results showed that several microsatellite loci indicated specific primary success rates, such as KT124402, KT124399, and KT124394, depicting high polymorphism content (>75%). This result suggested that these markers were equally effective in determining the polymorphisms of G. boninense isolates. A hierarchical analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that genetic diversity mostly found among individuals within a population (88%), then among populations (8%), and within individuals (4%).. Phylogeny analysis showed two clusters of Ganoderma isolates. which was considered variation as dissimilar across with origin. The present study indicated that G. boninense from oil palm was predominantly comprised of a genetically distinct individual.

The relationship between SPAD chlorophyll and disease severity index in Ganoderma-infected oil palm seedlings

Establishment of disease in oil palm seedlings through artificial inoculation of Ganoderma are widely used for studies of various aspects of plant pathology, including epidemiology, etiology, disease resistance, host-parasite interaction and disease control. The estimation of chlorophyll content in the infected seedlings possibly could provide a good indicator for degree of disease or infection, and changes during pathogenesis. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between disease severity index (DSI) and chlorophyll content in Ganoderma infected oil palm seedlings. Three-month-old oil palm seedlings were infected with Ganoderma inoculum on rubber wood block (RWB), where 44 isolates of Ganoderma were tested. Disease severity index (DSI) and chlorophyll content using a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) meter were recorded at 4 weeks interval for a period of 24 weeks after inoculation (WAI). Pearson's correlation analysis and regression analysis were performed to evaluate the relationship between the variables. It was found that the relationship between DSI and SPAD chlorophyll value was inversely proportional (R = -0.92) in a linear trend (R2 = 0.85). Furthermore, the increasing trend of the DSI across the weeks were fitted in a quadratic model (R2 = 0.99). In contrast, the SPAD chlorophyll value declined in a linear trend (R2 = 0.98). The SPAD chlorophyll value could be considered as a better alternative over the DSI as the SPAD chlorophyll value was strongly related to DSI, as well as able to detect physiological changes in the infected oil palm seedlings at the early stages of pathogenesis.
 J Bangladesh Agril Univ 17(3): 355–358, 2019

DNA extraction from Ganoderma isolates of PT Socfindo collections

Method of CTAB (cetyltrimethylethylammonium bromide) is prevalent for low-cost DNA extraction with many published variations for other plants and tissues, including fungi Ganoderma. The quantity of DNA extracts from the Ganoderma sp fungus from a coconut tree and rubber tree with concentration extraction efficiency and the quality of purity wholeness varied with different DNA characterizations. DNA purity was measured using UV spectroscopy, where a ratio of 260 nm, 280 nm 320 nm was an indicator of different contaminants. The quantity of DNA from the isolate is indicated by 31 ng/ul until 133 ng/ul and range of ratio from 1,279 until 3,6654. The DNA extraction quantity ratio value obtained is below, and above the average, for absorbance 260 nm, 280 nm and 320 nm varies between 1.5 until 1.8 which is an indicator of DNA purity. Pure DNA isolate without contaminants is only found in sample isolate Ganoderma sp 141.1 from coconut tree with a ratio value of 2.2707. Furthermore on the other samples thought to be still contaminated with phenols, salts, proteins, polysaccharide or RNA still co-extracted with phenolic acid (chloroform phenol).

Sequence analysis of Ganoderma boninense isolates from oil palm

Basal Stem Rot (BSR) is a prevalent oil palm disease caused by Ganoderma fungus. Many oil palm plantations suffered losses due to BSR disease, which caused deaths of oil palm crops. Ganoderma has host plants from the Palmae family such as oil palm, coconut, Nipah, aren, areca nut, papyrus, and also can be found in Industrial Plantation Forest (HTI) like Acacia, even in the forest wood can also be encountered Ganoderma. Ganoderma has high genetic diversity. Fruiting bodies which isolated from oil palm tree located in different locations is one of the factors causing genetic diversity. The Ganoderma isolates analysed in this study were isolates derived from different oil palm plantation. Ganoderma isolates collection of PT Socfindo is used in a screening test to obtain oil palm material which has resistance to Ganoderma attack. The present study confirmed through DNA sequences that Ganoderma derived from oil palm has been defined as a Ganoderma boninense, that is very virulent for the appearance of BSR disease.

POLYMORPHIC PROFILES OF Ganoderma spp. ISOLATES FROM BANYUMAS, CENTRAL JAVA, INDONESIA

Ganoderma spp. are known as both beneficial and harmful fungi to humans. These are distributed worldwide in sufficiently high diversity. To generate a polymorphic profile and a genetic inter-relationship of several isolates of Ganoderma spp., a study was conducted using the Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers on Ganoderma spp. from Banyumas Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The fruiting bodies of the collected Ganoderma spp. were first morphologically characterized, then analyzed using RAPD with four random primers, i.e., OPC-1, OPC-2, OPC-4, and OPC-5. The results revealed that the four primers generated polymorphic bands of the 10 samples with a polymorphism level of 100%, showing high genetic diversity. The level of genetic similarity ranged between 0.48 and 0.82, indicating moderate similarities among samples. The constructed dendrogram resulted in the grouping of the Ganoderma spp. isolates into three clusters at a similarity coefficient of 0.63, but neither according to geographical locations nor growth substrates.

Diversity of Ganoderma pathogen in Pontianak, West Kalimantan: Characteristics, virulence and ability to infect Acacia mangium seedlings

Suryantini R, Wulandari RS. 2018. Diversity of Ganoderma pathogen in Pontianak, West Kalimantan: Characteristics, virulence and ability to infect Acacia mangium seedlings. Biodiversitas 19: 465-471. The study aimed to determine morphological characteristics and virulence of Ganoderma isolates. The method that was used: isolation and characterization isolate from Acacia mangium, palm oil (Elaeis guineensis) and rubber (Hevea brasiliensis); inoculation of isolate in A. mangium; its influence to seedling dry weight. Results showed that isolated from A. mangium is G. lucidum, from palm oil is G. boninense and isolated from rubber plant is G. applanatum. Symptoms were observed within 3 months after inoculation. Symptoms began with chlorosis, necrosis and then seedling death. The G. lucidum is of highest virulent (2.08) compare to G. boninense (1.42). Whereas the one which isolated from rubber plant is moderately virulent (0.92). Ganoderma infection was indicated by decreasing the dry weight of infected seedlings. Difference type of isolates did not significantly effect to the decreasing of seedling dry weight 3.82 g (inoculated by G. lucidum), 4.01 g (inoculated by G. boninense), 5.02 g (inoculated by G. applanatum). These results showed that these isolates (especially G. lucidum-like) are species to watch out as for Ganoderma root rot pathogen. The presence of perennials such as palm oil and infected rubber, can be a potential source of inoculum for A. mangium.

A Validated Reverse-Phase HPLC Method for Quantitative Determination of Ganoderic Acids A and B in Cultivated Strains of Ganoderma spp. (Agaricomycetes) Indigenous to India.

Twenty isolates of Ganoderma spp. indigenous to India were used in this study. A reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was used to quantify 2 of the most bioactive triterpenes, ganoderic acid A (GAA) and ganoderic acid B (GAB), among the cultivated Ganoderma spp. The HPLC analysis was performed on an Agilent 1260 Infinity HPLC system with a Zorbax C18 column, using gradient elution of acetonitrile and 0.1% acetic acid. The detection wavelength was set at 254 nm, with a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. The method was validated according to the guidelines of International Conference on Harmonisation and produced satisfactory results. The amount of GAA varied from 827.50 to 2010.36 µg/g, whereas GAB varied from 16.64 to 916.89 µg/g. The developed method is simple, specific, accurate, and precise, and can be useful for qualitative and quantitative evaluation of ganoderic acids.

Status of coconut basal stem rot disease in India – A review

Basal stem rot is one of the important diseases of coconut accounting to severe yield loss in southern India. The disease in Indian subcontinent is reported to be caused by G. lucidum (Leys.) Karst., G. applanatum (Pers.) Pat. And G. boninense. Present status of the disease pertaining to occurrence and distribution in major coconut growing states, symptomology, etiology and epidemiology, disease indexing, pathogen diversity and its management methods are reviewed. The disease if unattended, is becoming a major threat to coconut production in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states. Management of the disease is possible with continuous monitoring and implementing biocontrol based integrated management even though there is variation among the pathogenic virulence of Ganoderma isolates. As early disease escapes detection, recent developments in early detection, grouping and molecular identification of the pathogen and integrated disease management measures are summarized in this review paper.

Mycoparasitic Scytalidium parasiticum as a potential biocontrol agent against Ganoderma boninense basal stem rot in oil palm

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to assess the interactions between Scytalidium parasiticum (Sp) and Ganoderma boninense, the causal agent of basal stem rot (BSR) in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). When compared with Scytalidium ganodermophthorum and Scytalidium sphaerosporum, Sp showed greater inhibition towards all Ganoderma isolates during dual-culture assays. At the interaction zone, coiling of host hyphae, formation of short lateral enlarged contact structures, and production of appressorium-like organs organs were observed in Sp on G. boninense. These were followed by the degradation, shrinkage, and deformation of G. boninense mycelia. Sp reduced mycelial survival and fruiting body regeneration of G. boninense. Sp's non-volatile metabolites suppressed the growth of G. boninense. Our results show that Sp could be a necrotrophic mycoparasite of G. boninense. Nursery experiments revealed that Sp was non-pathogenic to oil palm seedlings, and it could suppress Ganoderma infection and reduce disease severity. Sp increased the height of palms in the positive control with non-Ganoderma-inoculated rubber wood block and Sp inoculum compared to similar control without Sp. Leaf area was greater in the G. boninense G8 inoculated palms when Sp was present compared to without Sp. These results show that Sp might be a potential biocontrol candidate against BSR.

Experimental mixture design as a tool to optimize the growth of various Ganoderma species cultivated on media with different sugars

ABSTRACTThe influence of different medium components (glucose, sucrose, and fructose) on the growth of different Ganoderma isolates and species was investigated using mixture design. Ten sugar combinations based on three simple sugars were generated with two different concentrations, namely 3.3% and 16.7%, which represented low and high sugar levels, respectively. The media were adjusted to either pH 5 or 8. Ganoderma isolates (two G. boninense from oil palm, one Ganoderma species from coconut palm, G. lingzhi, and G. australe from tower tree) grew faster at pH 8. Ganoderma lingzhi proliferated at the slowest rate compared to all other tested Ganoderma species in all the media studied. However, G. boninense isolates grew the fastest. Different Ganoderma species were found to have different sugar preferences. This study illustrated that the mixture design can be used to determine the optimal combinations of sugar or other nutrient/chemical components of media for fungal growth.

IN-VITRO ANTAGONISM EXPERIMENT OF Trichoderma spp. TO Ganoderma sp. WHICH ATTACKS SENGON TREES

Ganoderma sp. is a pathogenic fungus that can cause root rot in sengon ( Falcataria mollucana ) plantation. Ganoderma sp. is difficult to detect because the symptoms are simillar to symptoms of other root diseases. The experiment was conducted at the Laboratory of the Faculty of Forestry IPB with aims to determine in vitro growth rate of colony diameter of Ganoderma sp. and Trichoderma spp. and also to obtain the ability of Trichoderma spp. in inhibiting the growth of colonies of isolates of Ganoderma sp. on PDA and MEA medium. The result shows that diameter of colony isolat Ganoderma sp. growth on PDA media (7,09 mm/day) was faster than the growth on MEA media (5,41 mm/day). The growth rate of the colony diameter of Trichoderma spp. isolates on PDA were 69,67 mm/day, 56.49 mm/day, and 42,04 mm/dayfor T.viride , T.harzianum and T.pseudokoningii , respectively. While, using the MEA media obtained an average value of growth of diameter colony isolates were 77,29 mm/day, 66,50 mm/day, and 59,67 mm/day ) for T.pseudokoningii , T.harzianum and T.viride , respectively. The highest percentage of inhibiting barriers of Trichoderma spp. was T.harzianum than T.pseudokoningii (59,76%) and T.viride (46,47%).

Biological activities of triterpenes isolated from the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum

Methanol extract of Ganoderma lucidum subjected to fractionation on silica gel medium pressure column afforded over 40 fractions. Further fractionation was carried out using Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (FCPC Rousselet Robatel, France), in the hexane-EtOAc-MeOH-Water systems adjusted for the polarity of each fraction. Some isolates were further purified by preparative HPLC. Methyl esters of ganoderic and lucidenic acids were obtained by methylation of the acids. Twelve compounds, including ganoderic acid A (1), methyl ganoderate A (2), methyl lucidenate A (3), methyl lucidenate F (4), lucidenic acid D2 (5), lucidenic acid A (6), lucidenic acid N (7), ganoderic acid DM (8), ganoderic acid F (9), ganoderic acid C (10), ganoderiol F (11) and ganodermonondiol (12) were evaluated for their biological activities. Antibacterial activity was determined against Gram -positive and -negative bacteria, anti-inflammatory effect against endotoxin (lipolysaccharide, LPS) induced inflammatory response in human macrophages, and anti-proliferative effects in human breast and colon cancer cells. We identified ganoderic acid DM as the most potent triterpene with anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects when compared to other Ganoderma isolates.

Ganoderma species, including new taxa associated with root rot of the iconic Jacaranda mimosifolia in Pretoria, South Africa.

Jacaranda mimosifolia trees have been progressively dying due to Ganoderma root and butt rot disease in Pretoria (the "City of Jacarandas") for many years. Ganoderma austroafricanum was described from these trees previously but this was based on a single collection. This study treats a substantially expanded collection of isolates of Ganoderma made from all dying trees where basidiomes were present in a Pretoria suburb. DNA sequences were obtained from the ITS and LSU region for the isolates and compared against sequences on GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses were used to compare sequences with those for other Ganoderma species. Based on sequence comparisons and morphological characters, two new Ganoderma species were discovered and these are described here as G. enigmaticum and G. destructans spp. nov. Interestingly, the previously described G. austroafricanum was not found, G. enigmaticum was found on only one Ceratonia siliqua tree and G. destructans was found on all other trees sampled. The latter species appears to be the primary cause of root rot of J. mimosifolia in the area sampled.