Screening of European fungi for antibacterial, antifungal, larvicidal, molluscicidal, antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activities and subsequent isolation of bioactive compounds

Crude extracts of 57 species of European fungi have been tested for their bactericidal (Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli), fungicidal (Candida albicans, Cladosporium cucumerinum), larvicidal (Aedes aegypti), molluscicidal (Biomphalaria glabrata), antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activities. Connatine and 2(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)glycine, two compounds with antioxidant and free-radical scavenging properties, were subsequently isolated from the methanolic extracts of Lyophyllum connatum (Tricholomataceae) and Cortinarius hercynicus (Cortinariaceae), respectively. In addition, linoleic acid was shown to be molluscicidal.