Exploring the Biodiversity of Turkey Tail Mushroom “Trametes sp.” from their Natural Habitat and its Characterization

Trametes versicolor a high value medicinal mushroom recognized for its diverse bioactive and therapeutic industry. The versatile nature of this tropica l mushroom with their wider adaptability makes it very unique. A survey was conducted in southern regions of Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and Alappuzha) during November to January, 2022-2023 for the collection of the native Trametes sp. from their habitat. The survey identified five distinct species of Trametes. These mushrooms occurred in gregarious nature on lignicolous substrates, The mushrooms exhibited fan-shaped pilei with wavy margins and were sessile attached to the substrate. The upper surface displayed concentric brown zonations, while the undersurface was porous. The native Trametes sp. had creamish-white pilei with brown concentric zones, ranging in size from 6 to 13 cm. Pure cultures of the native Trametes species were developed using the standard tissue culture technique on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium. The mycelial growth of these native isolates was either fluffy or sparse, with growth completion from 7 to 16 days in Petri plates(9 cm). The rapid/fast-growing isolate I4 was molecularly characterized as Trametes sp. For comparative study, a standard culture of Trametes versicolor (DMRO-211) obtained from ICAR-DMR, Solan, were also used. Physiological studies were conducted to identify suitable media, temperature, and pH conditions for the mycelia under in vitro conditions. The growth of both the native isolate (I4) and T. versicolor was comparatively faster in Malt Extract Agar (MEA) medium and slower in Czapek Dox Agar (CDA) medium. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth was found to be in the range of 25°C to 30°C. Near-neutral and neutral pH levels (5.5-6.5) favored rapid mycelial growth in both isolates.