Beneficial Relationships Between Endophytic Bacteria and Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Plants benefit extensively from endophytic bacteria, which live in host plant tissues exerting no harmful effects. Bacterial endophytes promote the growth of host plants and enhance their resistance toward various pathogens and environmental stresses. They can also regulate the synthesis of secondary metabolites with significant medicinal properties and produce various biological effects. This review summarizes recent studies on the relationships between bacterial endophytes and medicinal plants. Endophytic bacteria have numerous applications in agriculture, medicine, and other industries: improving plant growth, promoting resistance toward both biotic and abiotic stresses, and producing metabolites with medicinal potential. Their distribution and population structure are affected by their host plant’s genetic characteristics and health and by the ecology of the surrounding environment. Understanding bacterial endophytes can help us use them more effectively and apply them to medicinal plants to improve yield and quality.

Microbes in the <em>Datura</em> Rootzone Contribute to an Antioxidant Support System of Flavonoids and Other Aromatic Compounds

“…Streptomyces spp. within Bruguiera gymnorhiza and Boesenbergia rotunda increased flavonoids and cyclopeptides with anti-HIV and anticancer activities [15]. Endophytic bacteria, as well as fungi, can produce paclitaxel [16].…”

“…Within Taxus baccata, Streptomyces produced 0.01-0.02 ng/mL, and Bacillus subtilis produced 1-25 ng/mL [16]. Indeed, as Wu et al pointed out, the relationship between medicinal plants and endophytes is a long-term, symbiotic relationship [15]. Endophytes can strongly regulate the synthesis of secondary metabolites in plants.…”

“…For example, Pseudomonas aeruginosa could degrade 3-hydroxy palmitic acid methyl ester, which is a quorum sensing molecule of Rhizoctonia solanacearum. The inoculation of eggplant with P. aeruginosa reduced bacterial wilt caused by R. solanacearum [15]. In tomato, Bacillus aureus and Serratia nematodiphilia were applied to seeds along with Ralstonia syzigii sub-infection.…”

Analysis of Endophytic Bacterial Diversity From Different Dendrobium Stems and Discovery of an Endophyte Produced Dendrobine-Type Sesquiterpenoid Alkaloids

“…Endophytes could produce a large amount of novel and bioactive secondary metabolites that are not only beneficial to the host plants but also economically important to humans for the potential applications in pharmaceutical, agricultural, and food industries ( Gutierrez et al, 2012 ). Studies have shown that the community structure of endophytes is affected by host plant and multiple environmental factors ( Wu et al, 2021 ). Host plants can also influence their microbiome by secreting various metabolites in plant tissue ( Pang et al, 2021 ).…”

Dynamic Changes in Endophytic Microorganisms and Metabolites During Natural Drying of Licorice

“…Endophytic microorganisms live in various tissues and organs of healthy host plants without negatively affecting the plant’s health or functions ( Wu et al, 2021 ). Endophytic microorganisms have important effects on plant growth, development and the accumulation of metabolites ( Lugtenberg et al, 2016 ; Zhou et al, 2020 ; Liu and Wei, 2021 ; Santos et al, 2021 ; Singh et al, 2021 ).…”