Antimicrobial Evaluation of Endophytic Fungi Inhabiting Medicinal Plants of the Western Ghats of India

Abstract

Altogether fifteen species of endophytic fungi were recovered from surface sterilized leaf, stem and bark samples collected from eight medicinal plant species sampled in three different locations of the Western Ghats of India. Ethyl acetate extracts of fermentation cultures of these fungi were tested for the production of antimicrobial compounds using a panel of four bacterial strains and Candida albicans. From fifteen species, eight species of endophytes revealed the production of antimicrobial compounds. Partially purified extracts from solid state fermentation of Alternaria sp., Nigrospora oryzae and Papulospora sp. showed inhibitory activity against both Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria. In addition, extracts of Alternaria sp., inhibited the growth of Candida albicans. Extracts of Alternaria sp., Nigrospora oryzae and Papulospora sp. are promising enough to deserve further purification and characterization.

Potential pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity of an endophyticPenicilliumspecies

“…Liquid cultures of endophytic fungi were prepared by the procedure of Raviraja et al 8 . Concisely, the method comprised of inoculation of 100 ml pre-sterilized Richard's Broth (composition: Sucrose -5 g; Potassium Nitrate -1 g; Potassium dihydrogen phosphate -800 mg, Magnesium Sulphate -250 mg; Ferric chloride -2 mg; pH 4.5) aseptically with 5 mm mycelial disc of 7-d-old culture of endophytic fungus followed by incubation at 26 AE 1 C, 120 rpm for 15 d. After the culmination of incubation period, the mycelial mass was separated using Whatmann filter paper no.4 followed by centrifugation at 1000 rpm for 10 min at room temperature.…”

Antibacterial potential of fungal endophytes isolated from Boerhaavia diffusa L.

“…The probability of sampling specific medicinal plants that harbor antibiotic producing endophytes might increase significantly if one is guided by the medicinal role of native people (Raviraja et al, 2006). Hence, there is need to isolate new antimicrobial compounds from endophytic fungi that can overcome the difficulties related to the treatment of infections caused by resistant pathogens.…”

Isolation and characterization of endophytic bacteria fromPlectranthus tenuiflorusmedicinal plant in Saudi Arabia desert and their antimicrobial activities

“…wealth of literature on antimicrobial activity of endophytic bacteria and fungi isolated from medicinal plants Raviraja et al 2006;Tayung and Jha 2006). In present study, the crude metabolites extracts of endophytic bacteria isolated from P. tenuiflorus plant showed considerable antimicrobial activity against a panel of human pathogenic micro-organisms (Table 3).…”