Molecular and metabolites characterisation of <italic>Inonotus rickii:</italic> a medicinal mushroom from Western Ghats of India and its biological activities.

Mushrooms are a rich source of biologically active compounds. Meanwhile, <italic>Inonotus</italic> species reported abundant bioactive chemicals. Therefore, the current study aims to evaluate the antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer potential of <italic>Inonotus rickii</italic> (Pat.), a less-studied mushroom with an unverified identity, collected from the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, and its metabolic profiling. The morphological traits and spores were examined through a compound microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM) to confirm the species. Further, the ITS-5.8S region of the sample DNA was amplified using PCR, and species <italic>I. rickii</italic> was confirmed through molecular phylogeny. The <italic>I. rickii</italic> sample extracts demonstrated biological activity against <italic>Propionibacterium acnes</italic>, <italic>Vibrio cholera</italic>, and <italic>Bacillus subtilis</italic>. However, tested antioxidant capacity revealed an increase in activity with an increase in extract concentration. Moreover, the extract showed anticancer potential against Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines MCF-7 with IC50 greater than 80 µg/mL. The FTIR analysis and HRLCMS based metabolic profiling of <italic>I. rickii</italic> reported various chemical groups and bioactive metabolites, respectively. It might, however, be used as a nutraceutical and in the healthcare industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]