Bioprospecting of Medicinal Mushroom - <i>Inonotus vitis</i> from Western Ghats of India

Background: Fungi, particularly mushrooms contain a diverse range of bioactive compounds are used in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. Inonotus P. Karst., a genus within the Hymenochaetaceae family (order Hymenochaetales), is a polypore fungus characterized by its pileate growth habit and pigmented basidiospores. Aim: The present investigation focused on the bioprospecting of medicinal mushroom. Methods: Mushroom Inonotus vitis collected from Pune region of Western Ghats of India. The morphological and microscopic trait analysis, ITS regionamplification by PCR, and molecular phylogenetic analysis was performed. Results: Following morphological and microscopic trait analysis, ITS region was amplified by PCR, and by using molecular phylogenetic analysis identity of I. vitis was confirmed. The methanolic extract of I. vitis demonstrated biological activity against Vibrio cholerae, Bacillus subtilis, and Propionibacterium acnes. An increase in antioxidant capacity was observed with higher extract concentrations. Furthermore, the extracts exhibited anticancer activity against MCF-7 cell lines, with an IC50 value exceeding 80 μg/mL. Metabolic profiling using HR-LCMS identified 22 bioactive metabolites in the extract. Conclusion: Based on the experimental findings, it is suggested that the fungus holds potential for applications in the healthcare and nutraceutical sectors. Major Findings: The molecular phylogeny of I. vitis from Western Ghats of Maharashtra was reported for the first time in this study. The gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were both significantly inhibited by the extracts made from the I. vitis. The MCF7 and Hela cell lines have been used to test the anticancer potential and showed significant activity. The I. vitis could be used by the pharmaceutical sector to produce bioactive compounds for the treatment of a number of diseases.