Abstract

ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF FUNGAL ENDOPHYTES OF MEDICINAL PLANTS FROM BANGALORE REGION.

Prasanna Srinivas R., Aruna Jampani and Amrita Nigam*

Abstract

There is an increasing demand and prospect of finding new drugs that may be effective on micro-organisms. Endophytic association with host plants produce a plethora of substances. Endophytic fungi do not cause harm to the host tissue but produce many secondary metabolites known as bioactive compounds which has a potential of being antimicrobial, anticancerous and antibiotic. Therefore endophytic fungi are good targets for new source of antibacterial drugs. In the present study endophytic fungi were isolated from 25 medicinal plants collected from Dhanavantri vana and Siddarabetta in Bangalore, India. 101 endophytic fungi were isolated and studied for antibacterial property. The fungi were cultured in Potato Dextrose Broth with an incubation period of 21 days. The crude extract of fungi was studied for antibacterial property by turbidity method. From a total of 101 types of isolates, (50 isolates) 50% showed antibacterial activity. Analysis of organic compounds resulted in 42% Aromatic compounds, 38% aliphatic compounds, 39%phenols, 16% amines, 23% ketones, 38% acids, 24% Aldehydes with 33 fungal endophytes. Benzoic acid and Salicylic acid was reported in few fungal specimens of Penicillium, Gliocladium and Fusarium, where majority of the fungi did not produce these acids.

Keywords: Endophytic Fungi, Medicinal Plants, Fungal Diversity, Organic Compounds, Anti- microbial activity.