Useful Activities of Fungi
Useful Activities of Fungi
Useful Activities of Fungi
Directly or indirectly fungi are beneficial to human being. Fungi is used in medicine
industry, as food, in food preparation, in other industry and also in agriculture. Some of
the useful activities are:
1. Preparation of Medicine:
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Various kinds of fungi are used in the production of various kinds of medicine. The most
important members are Penicillium notatum, Claviceps purpurea, Saccharo myces
cerevisiae, Eremothemium ashbyii, Aspergillus proliferous etc.
(a) Antibiotic:
Antibiotics are the metabolic product of some microorganisms which are active against
other microorganism(s). Sir Alexander Fleming (1929) was the first who invented the
wonder drug Penicillin from Penicillium notatum.
Later, Penicillin was also commercially produced from P. crysogenum. Later on, other
different types of antibiotics were isolated from different fungi. The list of some fungi
along with their produced antibiotics and range of activity are given above.
(b) Alkaloid:
Several alkaloids are produced and accumulated in the sclerotium of Claviceps purpurea
which causes Ergot disease of rye. Out of several alkaloids, Ergo- metrine and its
semisynthetic analogues like methyl ergometrine and methyl ergometrine maleate have
prominent uterine action; those control haemorrhage of mother during child’s birth,
having side- effect with increase in blood pressure and decreased milk secretion.
(c) Steroid:
Rheumatic arthritis, allergy and some other diseases are controlled by steroid. Many
fungi have the capacity to synthesize different steroids. Steroid like cortisone is produced
by Aspergillus niger from plant glycosides by fermentation.
(d) Vitamins:
Vitamins are the micronutrients required for the growth of living organisms. Vitamin B-
complex, Vitamin A and Vitamin B-12 are found respectively from Saccharomyces
cerevisiae, Rhodo- torula gracilis and Eremothemium ashbyii.
2. Food:
Fungi are used as food by humans from prehistoric period. Some fungi have been used
directly as food and some are used in food processing:
These are recommended as ideal foods for heart and diabetic patients. The above fungi
can also grow artificially at commercial level.
Soyabeans are fermented by fungi like Rhizopus oryzae, R. oligospo- rus to prepare an
easily diges- table and tasty food known as “tempeh”.
Several Indian foods such as jalebies, idli, murcha, papadam and toddy, are actually the
fermented products caused by several fungi like Saccharomyces bayanus for jalebies;
Tricho- sporon pollulans and Torulopsis Candida for idli; Rhizopus arrhizus for murcha;
Saccharomyces cerevisiae for papadam and toddy.
3. Fungi in Industry:
Many fungi are used in the production of alcohol, bread, cheese, enzyme and organic
acids.
Wines are produced from grapes or other fruits by Saccharomyces ellipsoideus with
about 14% alcohol concentration. Beer is brewed from barley malt by Saccharomyces
cerevisiae with 3-8% alcohol production.
List of some fungi along with produced enzymes and/or acids and
their uses are given:
4. Soil Fertility:
Decomposition of litter and wood, mainly in the forest, takes place by the combined
action of different type of fungi. Fungi like Fusarium, Chaetomium, Chitridium,
Penicillium, Aspergillus etc., can decompose the structural polymers such as cellulose,
hemicellulose, lipid, protein, starch etc.
The more recalcitrant (persistant) polymers like lignin are decomposed by white rot
fungi of Basidiomycotina. By decomposing the organic matters, fungi help to increase
minerals and other substances, thereby the fertility of soil is increased.
5. Plant Nutrition:
Several fungal members like Rhizoctonia, Tricholoma, Boletus, Phallus, Amanita etc.,
associated with the roots of higher plants form mycorrhizal relationship. The fungal
partner supplies water and minerals and in turn, they take nutrition from the plant.
6. Manufacture of Phytohormone:
Gibberellin, an important phytohormone produced by Gibberella fujikuroi, the pathogen
of Bakanee disease of rice, has been used to enhance growth of many plants.
7. As Insecticide:
Fungi like Cordyceps melonthae, Aschersonia aleyroidis, Empusa sepulchralis etc., are
used as insecticides to control different types of insects.
8. Biological Research:
Fungi like Neurospora, Yeast etc., have been used in genetical and cytological studies.
Physarum polysephalum has been used to study DNA-synthesis and morphogenesis.
9. Test Organism:
Some strains of Aspergillus niger have been used to detect trace elements like Zn, Cu,
and Mo, even if the substances are present in very minute quantity in the substrate.
These elements when absorbed by the fungus give a particular colour to the conidia.
Similarly, Neurospora crassa has been used to detect Vitamin B complex.
3. Fungi Causing Animal Diseases:
Like plants and human being, some animals also suffer from different diseases caused by
fungi.
5. Spoilage of Food:
Different types of food are destroyed by different fungi like Mucor, Aspergillus,
Penicillium, Rhizopus etc.
6. Destruction of Timber:
Species of Polyporus and Armillaria are very common — cause wood rot of many trees.
Polyporus abietinus causes decay of Abies wood, P. schweinitzii causes bud rot of mature
conifers, P. sulphureus causes wood rot of apple, pear etc., while Armillaria mellea
causes red rot of apple.
7. Destruction of Goods:
Fungi like Alternaria, Mucor, Trichoderma, Penicillium, Chaetomium, Cephalothecium
etc., destroy paper, rubber, leather, camera lenses etc. In addition to the above, other
fungi like Chaetomium globosum, Memnoniella echinata destroy jute products.
8. Poisonous Fungi:
Some fungi like Amanita phalloides produce toxins, like α-amanitin causes lesions of
stomach cells and phalloidin affects on liver. Fungi, like Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus
and Penicillium islandicum when infest ground nut and mustard cakes, produce a
poisonous substance, the aflatoxin that binds with DNA and inhibits transcription,
resulting into the inhibition of protein synthesis.
9. Hallucinogenic Drug:
LSD (d-lysergic acid diethylamide), the well-known hallucinogenic drug, is extracted
from the sclerotia of Claviceps purpurea, the causal agent of ergot disease of rye. Other
fungi like Psilocybe mexicana produce Psilocin and Psilocybin that have hallucinogenic
properties. The hallucinogenic substances may destroy brain cells and cause distortion of
perception power of human beings