Question

Elucidate the use of fungi and their harmful effects.

Answer 1

Answer:

Useful Activities of Fungi:

Directly or indirectly fungi are beneficial to human being. Fungi is used in medicine industry, as food, in food prepa­ration, in other industry and also in agricul­ture. Some of the useful activities are:

1. Preparation of Medicine:

 

Various kinds of fungi are used in the production of various kinds of medicine. The most important members are Penicillium notatum, Claviceps purpurea, Saccharo myces cerevisiae, Eremothemium ashbyii, Aspergillus proliferous etc.

(a) Antibiotic:

Antibiotics are the metabolic product of some micro­organisms which are active against other microorganism(s). Sir Alexander Fleming (1929) was the first who invented the wonder drug Penicillin from Penicillium nota­tum.

Later, Penicillin was also com­mercially produced from P. cryso­genum. Later on, other different types of antibiotics were isolated from different fungi. The list of some fungi along with their pro­duced antibiotics and range of activity are given above

 

(b) Alkaloid:

Several alkaloids are produced and accumulated in the sclerotium of Claviceps purpurea which causes Ergot disease of rye. Out of several alkaloids, Ergo- metrine and its semisynthetic ana­logues like methyl ergometrine and methyl ergometrine maleate have prominent uterine action; those control haemorrhage of mother during child’s birth, having side- effect with increase in blood pres­sure and decreased milk secretion.

(c) Steroid:

Rheumatic arthritis, allergy and some other diseases are con­trolled by steroid. Many fungi have the capacity to synthesize different steroids. Steroid like cortisone is produced by Aspergillus niger from plant glycosides by fermentation.

(d) Vitamins:

Vitamins are the micronutrients required for the growth of living organisms. Vitamin B-complex, Vitamin A and Vitamin B-12 are found respectively from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Rhodo- torula gracilis and Eremothemium ashbyii.

(e) Other Compounds:

An anticancerous substance, calvacin is present in the giant PuffbalI (Clavatia gigan- tea), that prevents stomach tumours. Similarly, fungi like Ganoderma lucdum have promising significant roles in anticancerous, anti HIV and antihepatitis-B diseases. The fungi like Coriolus versicolor have also anticancerous activity.

 

2. Food:

Fungi are used as food by humans from prehistoric period. Some fungi have been used directly as food and some are used in food processing:

(a) Direct Use:

Fruit bodies of some fungi, like Agaricus brunnescens, A. campestris, Volveriella volvacea, V diplasia, Pleurotus sajor-caju, Lentinus edodes etc. are used as food due to their high protein con­tent (21-30% on dry weight) and have good amount of lysine, an amino acid; minerals like Na, Ca, K and P; Vitamins like B, C, D and K and very little amount of fat.

 

These are recommended as ideal foods for heart and diabetic patients. The above fungi can also grow artifici­ally at commercial level.

(b) Used in Food Processing:

The nutri­tious food soyabean cannot be digested easily by human beings.

Soyabeans are fermented by fungi like Rhizopus oryzae, R. oligospo- rus to prepare an easily diges- table and tasty food known as “tempeh”.

 

Several Indian foods such as jalebies, idli, murcha, papadam and toddy, are actually the fermented products caused by several fungi like Saccharomyces bayanus for jalebies; Tricho- sporon pollulans and Torulopsis Candida for idli; Rhizopus arrhizus for murcha; Saccharomyces cerevisiae for papadam and toddy.

Fermentation by yeast, particularly by Rhodotorula and Saccharomyces, results in quick growth of the organism producing single cell protein (SCP). Because of high nucleic acid content, the fermented products are not suitable for human nutrition, but can be used as feed for animal.

Harmful Activities of Fungi:

Fungi are also harmful to the human beings in various ways, either directly or indirectly. They may cause disea­ses of plants, human beings, and animals; spoilage of food etc.

Some of the harmful activities are:

1. Fungi Causing Plant Diseases:

Fungi cause several minor and major plant diseases. Some of them also cause famine in different parts of the world.

List of some diseases along with causal organism are given:

2. Fungi Causing Human Diseases:

Like plant disease, some fungi also cause human diseases.

Some of the important human diseases caused by fungi are given:

 

3. Fungi Causing Animal Diseases:

Like plants and human being, some animals also suffer from different diseases caused by fungi.

Some important animal diseases caused by fungi are given:

Besides above diseases, Saprolegnia para­sitica, an aquatic fungi live as parasite on egg and gills of fishes. Members like S. ferax, Achlya sp. and Ichthyophorus haferi cause severe damage to fishes.

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Explanation:

Answer 2

Answer:

Useful activities of fungi:

• Some fungi such as mushrooms are edible and used in vegetables as they are rich in vitamins.

• Yeast is a kind of fungi that is used in baking and brewing industries.

• Some fungi are also used in preparation of medicines. Ex- Penicillium.

Harmful activities of fungi:

• Fungi spoil our food, clothes, leather goods and various other articles.

• Fungi cause diseases in plants, they spoil various crop plants such as wheat, rice, potato, sugarcane, etc. Fungi also cause various diseases in animals and human beings.