Antibacterial Potential of Termitomyces letestui : An Edible Higher Fungus Harvested in the Haut Sassandra Region (Central-Western Ivory Coast)

Wild mushrooms are an important source of nutrients and bioactive compounds, used in many countries as dietary supplements and therapeutic agents. In Côte d'Ivoire, their integration into traditional medicine remains marginal, despite their pharmacological potential. In this context, a study was conducted in the Haut Sassandra region (central-western Ivory Coast) to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of Termitomyces letestui, an edible higher fungus. To do this, aqueous and hydro-ethanolic extracts were prepared from the dry carpophore and then tested in vitro on four bacterial strains responsible for urinary tract infections : Staphylococcus aureus 864, Escherichia coli 739, Salmonella enterica 189 and Shigella flexneri 117. The evaluation was then carried out using the Mueller-Hinton dilution method, with determination of the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) and MBC/MIC ratio. The results revealed marked antibacterial activity of the aqueous extract, with MICs of 6.25 mg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus 864, Escherichia coli 739, Shigella flexneri 117 and 3.125 mg/ml for Salmonella enterica 189. A complete bactericidal effect (100%) was observed on all four isolates. The hydro-ethanolic extract showed partial efficacy, with a bactericidal effect on 75% of the strains tested, while S. aureus showed relative resistance, reflected in an MIC of 25 mg/ml and an MBC of 200 mg/ml, indicating a bacteriostatic effect. The results of our study broaden the spectrum of use of Termitomyces letestui, giving it pharmacological properties that may inhibit bacterial growth.