Banana peel culture as an indigenous medium for easy identification of late‑sporulation human fungal pathogens.
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Date
2016-10
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Abstract
Aim: Fungi are increasing in incidence as human pathogens and newer and rarer species are continuously being
encountered. Identifying these species from growth on regular culture media may be challenging due to the absence
of typical features. An indigenous and cheap medium, similar to the natural substrate of these fungi, was standardised
in our laboratory as an aid to species identification in a conventional laboratory setting. Materials and Methods: Ripe
banana peel pieces, sterilised in an autoclave at 121°C temperature and 15 lbs pressure for 15 min promoted good
growth of hyphae and pycnidia or acervuli in coelomycetes, flabelliform and medusoid fruiting bodies of basidiomycetes
and fruit bodies such as cleistothecium in ascomycetes. The growth from the primary isolation medium was taken
and inoculated onto the pieces of double‑autoclaved ripe banana peel pieces in a sterile glass Petri dish with some
moisture (sprinkles of sterile distilled water). A few sterile coverslips were placed randomly inside the Petri dish for
the growing fungus to stick on to it. The plates were kept at room temperature and left undisturbed for 15–20 days. At a
time, one coverslip was taken out and placed on a slide with lactophenol cotton blue and focused under the microscope
to look for fruit bodies. Results: Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Macrophomina phaseolina, Nigrospora sphaerica,
Chaetomium murorum, Nattrassia mangiferae and Schizophyllum commune were identified by characteristic features
from growth on banana peel culture. Conclusions: Banana peel culture is a cheap and effective medium resembling the
natural substrate of fungi and is useful for promoting characteristic reproductive structures that aid identification.
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Keywords
Ascomycetes, banana peel culture, basidiomycetes, black fungi, coelomycetes, fruit bodies
Citation
Kindo A J, Tupaki‑Sreepurna A, Yuvaraj M. Banana peel culture as an indigenous medium for easy identification of late‑sporulation human fungal pathogens. Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology. 2016 Oct-Dec; 34(4): 457-461.