Antibacterial metabolites from Australian macrofungi from the genus Cortinarius.

In this study, ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions from 117 collections of Australian macrofungi belonging to the mushroom genus Cortinarius were screened for antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Overall, the lipophilic fractions were more active than the aqueous fractions. The ethyl acetate fractions of most or all collections of 13 species, namely Cortinarius ardesiacus, C. archeri, C. austrosaginus, C. austrovenetus, C. austroviolaceus, C. coelopus, C. [Dermocybe canaria](2), C. clelandii, C. [D. kula], C. memoria-annae, C. persplendidus, C. sinapicolor, C. vinosipes and forty seven collections of un-described Cortinarius species exhibited IC(50) values of 0.09 mg/mL against S. aureus. In contrast, most or all collections of only four species, namely C. abnormis, C. austroalbidus, C. [D. kula], C. persplendidus, and eleven un-described Cortinarius collections exhibited similar effects against P. aeruginosa (IC(50)