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Context: The increase in the side effects of many synthetic antimicrobial agents and the incidence of multidrug resistance in bacteria has prompted scientists to research plant-based antimicrobial with therapeutic potential. Mushrooms have been shown to present such potential with high medicinal value. The antimicrobial activity and nutraceutical potential of two mushrooms namely Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus sajor-caju were investigated. P. ostreatus was found to exhibit antagonistic activity in varying degrees against S. aureus, E. coli, P. fluorescens, S. liquifaciens, S. marcescens, K. pneumonia, and P. mirabilis with the diameter zones of inhibition ranging between 10.8±0.5 to 20.8±0.4 mm. The highest amount of Flavonoids (39.50±0.40%) was observed in the aqueous extract fractions of Pleurotus sajor-caju followed by Alkaloids in Ethyl acetate extract fraction of Pleurotus ostreatus (36.80±0.57) while the least was Tannins (0.09±0.00%) in Ethanol extract fraction of Pleurotus sajor-caju. The two mushrooms exhibited a concentrated dependent scavenger ability against Diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Based on the result obtained, Pleurotus ostreatus have high inhibitory activity against pathogenic microorganisms, while the two mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus sajor-caju) have high antioxidant capacity against free radicals which can serve as a good means of reducing the incidence of infection and high prevalence of malnutrition.
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