Abstract
Micellar structures from medicinal mushrooms are self-growing, fibrous, polymeric structures that can be successfully functionalized with various bioactive substances. Moreover, micellar structures can successfully mimic the extracellular matrix of human body tissues. Therefore, they can be used as novel biomaterials in tissue engineering and wound healing. On the other hand, fruit by-products, such as mango peels, are mainly discarded but represent a renewable source from which products with exceptional added value can be obtained.
The aim of our study was to determine the antimicrobial properties of functionalized micellar structures obtained from medicinal mushrooms such as Ganoderma lucidum and Pleurotus ostreatus. The adsorption method was used to functionalize the micellar structures with natural mango peel extract (MPE) obtained by an ultrasound-assisted extraction method. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of the functionalized micellar structures was validated using a disk diffusion method.
The results of our study show a successful functionalization of micellar structures with natural MPE with a loading efficiency of up to 50-60% and a release rate of 73-96%. Moreover, the antimicrobial properties of the micellar structures from the two selected medicinal mushrooms were successfully determined against the tested pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, mycelium-based functional materials represent promising bio-composite materials, especially for biomedical applications.
