Endophytes Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Endophytic bacteria were isolated from date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seedling roots, characterized and tested for their ability to help plants grow under saline conditions. Molecular characterization showed that the majority of these... more

Endophytic bacteria were isolated from date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seedling roots, characterized and tested for their ability to help plants grow under saline conditions. Molecular characterization showed that the majority of these strains belonged to the genera Bacillus and Enterobacter and had different degrees of resistance to various antibiotics. Some of these strains were able to produce the enzyme 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase and the plant growth regulatory hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Some strains were also able to chelate ferric iron (Fe3+) and solubilize potassium (K+), phosphorus (PO 4 3- ) and zinc (Zn2+), and produce ammonia. The results also showed that ACC deaminase activity and IAA production was slightly increased in some strains in response to an increase in NaCl concentration in the growth media. Consistent with these results, selected strains such as PD-R6 (Paenibacillus xylanexedens) and PD-P6 (Enterobacter cloacae) were able to enhance canola root elongation when grown under normal and saline conditions as demonstrated by a gnotobiotic root elongation assay. These results suggest that the isolated and characterized endophytic bacteria can alter ethylene and IAA levels and also facilitate nutrient uptake in roots and therefore have the potential role to promote the growth and development of date palm trees growing under salinity stress.

The present research work was carried out to study the endophytic fungal flora associated with the leaves and barks of Litsea cubeba and antibacterial activity of the crude metabolites produced by the endophytes. L. cubeba is an endemic... more

The present research work was carried out to study the endophytic fungal flora associated with the leaves and barks of Litsea cubeba and antibacterial activity of the crude metabolites produced by the endophytes. L. cubeba is an endemic plant to Southeast Asia and is commonly known as Mezankari in Assam. A total of 12 morphologically different endophytic fungi were isolated from L. cubeba. Acremonium falciforme was the most dominant fungi that inhabited both the leaves and barks of L. cubeba and, respectively, had 42.41% and 31.42% relative frequency of dominance. The ethyl acetate extracts of the crude metabolites of all the isolates, showed antagonistic activity against at least one of the tested bacteria. Acremonium falciforme showed the highest zone of inhibition (12.3±0.50 mm) against Staphylococcus epidermidis (MTCC 435). The results of the present study indicated that the isolated endophytes produced bioactive compounds which might have potential application in pharmaceutical...

Olive tree pruning, as one of the most abundant lignocellulosic residues in Mediterranean countries, has been evaluated as a source of sugars for fuel and chemicals production. A mild acid pretreatment has been combined with a fungal... more

Olive tree pruning, as one of the most abundant lignocellulosic residues in Mediterranean countries, has been evaluated as a source of sugars for fuel and chemicals production. A mild acid pretreatment has been combined with a fungal pretreatment using either two endophytes (sp. andsp.) or a saprophyte (sp. I-62). The use of endophytes is based on the important role that some of them play during the initial stages of wood decomposition. Without acid treatment, fungal pretreatment withsp. provided a nonsignificant enhancement of 4.6% in glucose digestibility, compared to control. When a mild acid hydrolysis was carried out after fungal pretreatments, significant increases in glucose digestibility from 4.9% to 12.0% (compared to control without fungi) were observed for all fungal pretreatments, with maximum values yielded bysp. However, despite the observed digestibility boost, the total sugar yields (taking into account solid yield) were not significantly increased by the pretreatmen...

Two new metabolites, 6-oxo-12-norcytochalasin D (1) and 4,5-di-isobutyl-2(1H)-pyrimidinone (2), together with seven known metabolites, cytochalasins D (3), Q (4), and N (5), 12-hydroxyzygosporin G (6), heptelidic acid chlorohydrin (7),... more

Two new metabolites, 6-oxo-12-norcytochalasin D (1) and 4,5-di-isobutyl-2(1H)-pyrimidinone (2), together with seven known metabolites, cytochalasins D (3), Q (4), and N (5), 12-hydroxyzygosporin G (6), heptelidic acid chlorohydrin (7), (+)-heptelidic acid (8), and trichoderonic acid A (9), were isolated from Xylariaceae sp. FL0390, a fungal endophyte inhabiting Spanish moss, Tillandsia usneoides. Metabolite 1 is the first example of a 12-norcytochalasin. All metabolites, except 2 and 9, showed cytotoxic activity in a panel of five human tumor cell lines with IC50S of 0.2-5.0 μM.

Herbicide tolerance in crops and weeds is considered to be monotrophic, i.e. determined by the relative susceptibility of the physiological process targeted and the plant’s ability to metabolise and detoxify the agrochemical. A growing... more

Herbicide tolerance in crops and weeds is considered to be monotrophic, i.e. determined by the relative susceptibility of the physiological process targeted and the plant’s ability to metabolise and detoxify the agrochemical. A growing body of evidence now suggests that endophytes, microbes that inhabit plant tissues and provide a range of growth, health and defence enhancements, can contribute to other types of abiotic and biotic stress tolerance. The current evidence for herbicide tolerance being bitrophic, with both free-living and plant-associated endophytes contributing to tolerance in the host plant, has been reviewed. We propose that endophytes can directly contribute to herbicide detoxification through their ability to metabolise xenobiotics. In addition, we explore the paradigm that microbes can ‘prime’ resistance mechanisms in plants such that they enhance herbicide tolerance by inducing the host’s stress responses to withstand the downstream toxicity caused by herbicides. This latter mechanism has the potential to contribute to the growth of non-target-site-based herbicide resistance in weeds. Microbial endophytes already contribute to herbicide detoxification in planta, and there is now significant scope to extend these interactions using synthetic biology approaches to engineer new chemical tolerance traits into crops via microbial engineering.

Endophytic fungi are ubiquitous organisms found in the plants, residing intercellular or intracellular, at least for a portion of their lives without causing apparent symptoms of infection. Almost all plants are known to harbor... more

Endophytic fungi are ubiquitous organisms found in the plants, residing intercellular or intracellular, at least for a portion of their lives without causing apparent symptoms of infection. Almost all plants are known to harbor endophytes. The choice of the plant to be used for exploring endophytes for bioactives is important. Therefore, medicinal plants which are known to be used since centuries as an alternative source of medicine, are a valuable source for bioprospecting endophytes. Nevertheless, due to many reasons there is a dire need for novel resources
for novel drugs which can be an answer to many deadly diseases. It is in this context that the present review was
envisaged. The review reveals the importance of endophytic fungi from medicinal plants as a source of bioactive and chemically novel compounds. The bioactive metabolites produced by endophytic fungi originate from different biosynthetic pathways and belong to diverse structural groups such as terpenoids, steroids, quinones, phenols, coumarins etc. Endophytes therefore, represent a chemical reservoir for
new compounds such as, anticancer, immunomodulatory,
antioxidant, antiparasitic, antiviral, antitubercular, insecticidal etc. for use in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. Although, efforts have been made to accommodate as many examples as possible but the depth of the subject is so vast that it cannot be covered in one single review. This in itself speaks of the fact that endophytic fungi from medicinal plants is indeed a treasure worth searching. In the present review only some selected examples have been covered.

Microbial endophytes are symbionts dwelling within plant tissues without appearance of disease symptoms on host plant and have been recently investigated for their plant growth-promoting properties and their beneficial functions... more

Microbial endophytes are symbionts dwelling within plant tissues without appearance of disease symptoms on host plant and have been recently investigated for their plant growth-promoting properties and their beneficial functions associated with plant responses under abiotic stress conditions. This study focuses on the critical role of endophytic microbes in plant health and their stim-ulatory different mechanisms to tolerance against abiotic stress in plants. Endophytic microbial community can enhance plant growth through producing secondary active compounds which protect the plant from pathogens such as insect and fungi; also endophytes can produce extracellular enzymes which play critical roles in colonization of endophytes within the plant host. Microbial endo-phytes have the ability to act as plant growth-promoting agents through producing phytohormones and also enable plants to grow in contaminated soils through breakdown of hazardous compounds. Endophytes manage plant growth under adverse conditions such as salinity, drought, temperature, heavy metal stress, and nutrient stress through different mechanisms. This chapter may introduce new approaches for the use of endophytic inoculants to combat abiotic stresses in agricultural fields, which increases global crop production.

Plant microbiota have different effects on the plant which can be beneficial or pathogenic. In this study, we concentrated on beneficial microbes associated with plants using endophytic microbes as a case study. Detailed knowledge of the... more

Plant microbiota have different effects on the plant which can be beneficial or pathogenic. In this study, we concentrated on beneficial microbes associated with plants using endophytic microbes as a case study. Detailed knowledge of the microbial diversity, abundance, composition, functional genes patterns, and metabolic pathways at genome level could assist in understanding the contributions of microbial community towards plant growth and health. Recently, the study of microbial community has improved greatly with the discovery of next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics technologies. Analysis of next generation sequencing data and a proper computational method plays a key role in examining microbial metagenome. This review presents the general metagenomics and computational methods used in processing plant associated metagenomes with concentration on endophytes. This includes 1) introduction of plant-associated microbiota and the factors driving their diversity. 2) plant metagenome focusing on DNA extraction, verification and quality control. 3) metagenomics methods used in community analysis of endophytes focusing on maize plant and, 4) computational methods used in the study of endophytic microbiomes. Limitations and future prospects of metagenomics and computational methods for the analysis of plant-associated metagenome (endophytic metagenome) were also discussed with the aim of fostering its development. We conclude that there is need to adopt advanced genomic features such as k-mers of random size, which do not depend on annotation and can represent other sequence alternatives.

This review starts with a brief introduction on bacterial endophytes. Only small fractions of rhizosphere and phyllosphere bacteria are able to live inside the plant. Endophytes are bacteria and fungi that can be detected at a particular... more

This review starts with a brief introduction on bacterial endophytes. Only small fractions of rhizosphere and phyllosphere bacteria are able to live inside the plant. Endophytes are bacteria and fungi that can be detected at a particular moment within the tissues of apparently healthy plant hosts without producing symptoms in or on the plant. Possible traits required by these bacteria to enter the plant and live inside will be discussed. Furthermore, we will focus on possible biotechnological applications of bacterial endophytes and present case studies as examples. Endophytes can promote plant growth, for example by the production of hormones or by making nutrients (such as nitrogen, phosphate and ferric ions) available to the plant. Endophytes can also promote plant growth indirectly, for example by suppression of plant diseases, by inactivating environmental pollutants, and by alleviating stresses of the plant caused by excess of the hormone ethylene, by heavy metals, by draught and by salinated soil. Some endophytic bacteria can produce nanoparticles which have numerous applications. At the end of the review we will discuss aspects involved in the commercialization of microbes.

Plants and associated microorganisms are used to remediate anthropogenic metal(loid) contamination of water, soils and sediments. This review focuses on the potential of Arundo donax L. (Giant reed) for alleviating risks due to soils,... more

Plants and associated microorganisms are used to remediate anthropogenic metal(loid) contamination of water, soils and sediments. This review focuses on the potential of Arundo donax L. (Giant reed) for alleviating risks due to soils, water, and sediments contaminated by trace elements (TE), with emphasis on its advantages and limits over macrophytes and perennial grasses used for bioenergy and plant-based feedstock. Arundo donax is relevant to phytomanage TE-contaminated matrices, notably in its native area, as it possesses characteristics of large biomass production even under nutrient and abiotic stresses, fast growth rate, TE tolerance and accumulation mainly in below ground plant parts. Cultivating A. donax on contaminated lands and in constructed wetlands can contribute to increase land availability and limit the food vs. plant-based feedstock controversy. To gain more tools for decision-taking and sustainable management,further researches on A. donax should focus on: interact...

Endophytic fungi, mostly belonging to the Ascomycota, are found in the intercellular spaces of the aerial plant parts, particularly in leaf sheaths, sometimes even within the bark and root system without inducing any visual symptoms of... more

Endophytic fungi, mostly belonging to the Ascomycota, are found in the intercellular spaces of the aerial plant parts, particularly in leaf sheaths, sometimes even within the bark and root system without inducing any visual symptoms of their presence. These fungi appear to have a capacity to produce a wide range of enzymes and secondary metabolites exhibiting a variety of biological activities. However, they have been only barely exploited as sources of enzymes of industrial interest. This review emphasizes the suitability and possible advantages of including the endophytic fungi in the screening of new enzyme producing organisms as well as in studies aiming to optimize the production of enzymes through well-known culture processes. Apparently endophytic fungi possess the two types of extracellular enzymatic systems necessary to degrade the vegetal biomass: (1) the hydrolytic system responsible for polysaccharide degradation consisting mainly in xylanases and cellulases; and (2) the...

Endophytes, which mostly include bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes, are the endosymbionts that reside asymptomatically in plants for at least a part of their life cycle. They have emerged as a valuable source of novel metabolites,... more

Endophytes, which mostly include bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes, are the endosymbionts that reside asymptomatically in plants for at least a part of their life cycle. They have emerged as a valuable source of novel metabolites, industrially important enzymes and as stress relievers of host plant, but still many aspects of endophytic biology are unknown. Functions of individual endophytes are the result of their continuous and complex interactions with the host plant as well as other members of the host microbiome. Understanding plant microbiomes as a system allows analysis and integration of these complex interactions. Modern genomic studies involving metaomics and comparative studies can prove to be helpful in unraveling the gray areas of endophytism. A deeper knowledge of the mechanism of host infestation and role of endophytes could be exploited to improve the agricultural management in terms of plant growth promotion, biocontrol and bioremediation. Genome sequencing, comparative genomics, microarray, next gen sequencing, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics are some of the techniques that are being used or can be used to unravel plant–endophyte relationship. The modern techniques and approaches need to be explored to study endophytes and their putative role in host plant ecology. This review highlights " omics " tools that can be explored for understanding the role of endophytes in the plant microbiome.

Heavy metal removal from water is an important issue of environmental concern. This study demonstrates the application of endophytic bacterium Kocuria rhizophila (gene bank No: KF875448) isolated from hyperaccumulator Oxalis corniculata... more

Heavy metal removal from water is an important issue of environmental concern. This study demonstrates the application of endophytic bacterium Kocuria rhizophila (gene bank No: KF875448) isolated from hyperaccumulator Oxalis corniculata for the adsorption of Cd(II) and Cr(III) from aqueous solution. Minimum inhibitory concentration of Cd and Cr for the selected strain was found to be 6 and 8 mM, respectively. The effects of certain parameters like pH, contact time, and initial metal concentration on biosorption were assessed at a temperature of 35 ± 2˚C. The optimum pH values for Cd and Cr biosorption were found to be 8 and 4, respectively. Maximum biosorption for both the metals was obtained after 60 min. Biosorption equilibrium was described by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The Langmuir model showed maximum adsorption capacity (Qmax) for Cd and Cr as 9.07 and 14.4 mg g−1, respectively. Kinetic data indicated that biosorption of the selected heavy metals on K. rhizophila follows pseudo-second-order rate equation. FTIR analysis showed that functional groups like OH, C=O, C=N, N–H, CH2, PO2, C–O, C–O–C and C–H on K. rhizophila surface might be responsible for heavy metals biosorption. Results suggested that K. rhizophila has potential for the removal of metal ions from aqueous solution. Therefore, current research presents novelty in terms of evaluating endophytic K. rhizophila as a biosorbent for Cd and Cr.

Orchid mycorrhizal (OrM) symbionts play a key role in the growth of orchids, but the temporal variation and habitat partitioning of these fungi in roots and soil remain unclear. Temporal changes in root and rhizosphere fungal communities... more

Orchid mycorrhizal (OrM) symbionts play a key role in the growth of orchids, but the temporal variation and habitat partitioning of these fungi in roots and soil remain unclear. Temporal changes in root and rhizosphere fungal communities of Cypripedium calceolus, Neottia ovata and Orchis militaris were studied in meadow and forest habitats over the vegetation period by using 454 pyrosequencing of the full internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The community of typical OrM symbionts differed by plant species and habitats. The root fungal community of N. ovata changed significantly in time, but this was not observed in C. calceolus and O. militaris. The rhizosphere community included a low proportion of OrM symbionts that exhibited a slight temporal turnover in meadow habitats but not in forests. Habitat differences in OrM and all fungal associates are largely attributable to the greater proportion of ectomycorrhizal fungi in forests. Temporal changes in OrM fungal communities in r...

Altogether 700 segments from 15 plants of Acalypha indica Linn. were collected from Karnatak University Botanical Garden; Dharwad. And they were screened for the presence of endophytic fungi. A total of 12 fungal species viz,... more

Altogether 700 segments from 15 plants of Acalypha
indica Linn. were collected from Karnatak University Botanical
Garden; Dharwad. And they were screened for the presence of
endophytic fungi. A total of 12 fungal species viz, Aspergillus
candidus Link ex. Fries., Aspergillus flavipes Bainer and Sartory.
Aspergillus niger Tiegh., Aureobasidium pullulans (de Bary)
Arnaud. Les., Bipolaris nodulosa (Bert and Curt. ex. Sacc.)
Shoemaker., Cladosporium epiphyllum Person., Cunninghamella
blacksleeana Lender., Fusarium heterosporum., Fusarium
oxysporum Schlechtendahl., Penicillum purpurogenum stoll.,
Rhizopus nigricans Ehrenberg., Unidentified I isolated and
identified based on the morphology of the fungal culture and
spores with the help of manuals. The present investigation was
the diversity of endophytes and colonization frequency was more
dominated in host leaves had been determined. Importance of
endophytes in medicinal plant has been discussed.

The unresolved ecophysiological significance of Dark Septate Endophytes (DSE) may be in part due to existence of morphologically indistinguishable cryptic species in the most common Phialocephala fortinii s. l.-Acephala applanata species... more

The unresolved ecophysiological significance of Dark Septate Endophytes (DSE) may be in part due to existence of morphologically indistinguishable cryptic species in the most common Phialocephala fortinii s. l.-Acephala applanata species complex (PAC). We inoculated three middle European forest plants (European blueberry, Norway spruce and silver birch) with 16 strains of eight PAC cryptic species and other DSE and ectomycorrhizal/ericoid mycorrhizal fungi and focused on intraradical structures possibly representing interfaces for plant-fungus nutrient transfer and on host growth response. The PAC species Acephala applanata simultaneously formed structures resembling ericoid mycorrhiza (ErM) and DSE microsclerotia in blueberry. A. macrosclerotiorum, a close relative to PAC, formed ectomycorrhizae with spruce but not with birch, and structures resembling ErM in blueberry. Phialocephala glacialis, another close relative to PAC, formed structures resembling ErM in blueberry. In blueber...

An endophytic Streptomyces sp. GMKU 3100 isolated from roots of a Thai jasmine rice plant (Oryza sativa L. cv. KDML105) showed the highest siderophore production on CAS agar while phosphate solubilization and IAA production were not... more

An endophytic Streptomyces sp. GMKU 3100 isolated from roots of a Thai jasmine rice plant (Oryza sativa L. cv. KDML105) showed the highest siderophore production on CAS agar while phosphate solubilization and IAA production were not detected. A mutant of Streptomyces sp. GMKU 3100 deficient in just one of the plant growth promoting traits, siderophore production, was generated by inactivation of a desD-like gene encoding a key enzyme controlling the final step of siderophore biosynthesis. Pot culture experiments revealed that rice and mungbean plants inoculated with the wild type gave the best enhancement of plant growth and significantly increased root and shoot biomass and lengths compared with untreated controls and siderophore-deficient mutant treatments. Application of the wild type in the presence or absence of ferric citrate significantly promoted plant growth of both plants. The siderophore-deficient mutant clearly showed the effect of this important trait involved in plant–microbe interaction in enhancement of growth in rice and mungbean plants supplied with sequestered iron. Our results highlight the value of a substantial understanding of the relationship of the plant growth promoting properties of endophytic actinomycetes to the plants. Endophytic actinomycetes, therefore, can be applied as potentially safe and environmentally friendly biofertilizers in agriculture.

Endophytic fungi are microorganisms that colonize internal plant tissues without causing immediate negative effects, being present in virtually the entire plant kingdom. Despite this, much of its biotechnological potential is unknown, and... more

Endophytic fungi are microorganisms that colonize internal plant tissues without causing immediate negative effects, being present in virtually the entire plant kingdom. Despite this, much of its biotechnological potential is unknown, and its identification is still recent. Peppermint, popular name of the genus Mentha, is a perennial plant native of Europe with various applications in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food and hygiene products. The objective of this work was the isolation and identification of endophytic fungi from leaves of two peppermint species, Mentha piperita and Mentha canadensis. Identification was performed by macro and micromorphology and by the sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of ribosomal DNA and partial ß-tubulin gene. Thirty-five endophytes were identified in total, belonging to the genus Alternaria, Aspergillus, Curvularia, Epicoccum, Fusarium, Penicillium, Periconia and Phoma and the order Xylariales. This is the first report of endophytic fungi diversity in M. canadensis, and provides knowledge on their future use on biotechnological processes.

Twenty seven medicinal plants were selected and screened for endophytic hyphomycetous fungi during 2011-2013. Following standard methods, endophytes were isolated from their respective host plants. Out of total isolates, identification of... more

Twenty seven medicinal plants were selected and screened for endophytic hyphomycetous fungi during 2011-2013. Following standard methods, endophytes were isolated from their respective host plants. Out of total isolates, identification of sporulating hyphomycetous fungi reveals 33 taxa of endophytic fungi representing 16 genera. This study also reveals the fact that about 20 hyphomycetous endophytes isolated form new additions to their respective hosts.

This white paper presents a series of perspectives on current and future phytobiome management, discussed at the Wild and Tamed Phytobiomes Symposium in University Park, PA, U.S.A., in June 2018. To enhance plant productivity and health,... more

This white paper presents a series of perspectives on current and future phytobiome management, discussed at the Wild and Tamed Phytobiomes Symposium in University Park, PA, U.S.A., in June 2018. To enhance plant productivity and health, and to translate lab- and greenhouse-based phytobiome research to field applications, the academic community and end-users need to address a variety of scientific, practical, and social challenges. Prior discussion of phytobiomes has focused heavily on plant-associated bacterial and fungal assemblages, but the phytobiomes concept covers all factors that influence plant function. Here we discuss various management considerations, including abiotic conditions (e.g., soil and nutrient applications), microorganisms (e.g., bacterial and fungal assemblages, bacterial and fungal inoculants, and viruses), macroorganisms (e.g., arthropods and plant genetics), and societal factors (e.g., communication approaches and technology diffusion). An important near-te...

K E Y W O R D S Herbal cosmeceuticals: New opportunities in cosmetology AISWARYA CHAUDHURI1, MOHD. AQIL1 * AND ABDUL QADIR1 1Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, 110062... more

K E Y W O R D S Herbal cosmeceuticals: New opportunities in cosmetology AISWARYA CHAUDHURI1, MOHD. AQIL1 * AND ABDUL QADIR1 1Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, 110062 India Received: 18 January 2020 Revised: 08 June 2020 Accepted: 14 July 2020 ePublished: 10 September 2020 Corresponding author: Mohd. Aqil Tel: +9990170293 Fax: +91-11-26059663 E-mail address: maqil@jamiahamdard.ac.in Cosmeceuticals

Plants emit specific blends of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that serve as multitrophic, multifunctional signals. Fungi colonizing aboveground (AG) or belowground (BG) plant structures can modify VOC patterns, thereby altering the... more

Plants emit specific blends of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that serve as multitrophic, multifunctional signals. Fungi colonizing aboveground (AG) or belowground (BG) plant structures can modify VOC patterns, thereby altering the information content for AG insects. Whether AG microbes affect the emission of root volatiles and thus influence soil insect behaviour is unknown. The endophytic fungus Neotyphodium uncinatum colonizes the aerial parts of the grass hybrid Festuca pratensis × Lolium perenne and is responsible for the presence of insect-toxic loline alkaloids in shoots and roots. We investigated whether endophyte symbiosis had an effect on the volatile emission of grass roots and if the root herbivore Costelytra zealandica was able to recognize endophyte-infected plants by olfaction. In BG olfactometer assays, larvae of C. zealandica were more strongly attracted to roots of uninfected than endophyte-harbouring grasses. Combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and pr...

The objective of the work was to characterize fungal endophytes from aerial parts of Vanilla planifolia. Also, to establish their biotransformation abilities of flavor-related metabolites. This was done in order to find a potential role... more

The objective of the work was to characterize fungal endophytes from aerial parts of Vanilla planifolia. Also, to establish their biotransformation abilities of flavor-related metabolites. This was done in order to find a potential role of endophytes on vanilla flavors. Twenty three MOTUs were obtained, representing 6 fungal classes. Fungi from green pods were cultured on mature green pod based media for 30 days followed by (1)H NMR and HPLC-DAD analysis. All fungi from pods consumed metabolized vanilla flavor phenolics. Though Fusarium proliferatum was recovered more often (37.6 % of the isolates), it is Pestalotiopsis microspora (3.0 %) that increased the absolute amounts (quantified by (1)H NMR in μmol/g DW green pods) of vanillin (37.0 × 10(-3)), vanillyl alcohol (100.0 × 10(-3)), vanillic acid (9.2 × 10(-3)) and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (87.9 × 10(-3)) by significant amounts. All plants studied contained endophytic fungi and the isolation of the endophytes was conducted from plant...

Endophytes, the chemical synthesizers inside plants, are the microorganisms having mutualistic relationship with the host plant. They can be used by plants for defense in addition to the production of a wide variety of beneficial... more

Endophytes, the chemical synthesizers inside plants, are the microorganisms having mutualistic relationship with the host plant. They can be used by plants for defense in addition to the production of a wide variety of beneficial bioactive secondary metabolites. There are reports that microbial endophytes mimic the bioactive compounds as produced by the plant itself thus making them a promising source of novel compounds. During the present study, endophytes were isolated from the symptomless leaves and stem of the angiosperm, Digitalis lanata (foxglove). Digitalis lanata belongs to the family Plantaginaceae and is an important medicinal plant known for the production of an important glycoside, digoxin having
valuable medicinal importance. Glycosides from Digitalis
have been reported to be cardiotonic and are widely used in
the treatment of various heart conditions namely atrial
fibrillation, atrial flutter, heart failure, etc. Endophytic
fungi were isolated from Digitalis to screen them for such
glycosides as have been found in the plant itself. A total of
35 fungal endophytes were isolated and screened for the
production of secondary metabolites. After preliminary
analysis by thin layer chromatography for the presence of
bioactive compounds, crude extracts of five fungal cultures
were selected for HPLC. HPLC chromatograms revealed
the production of glycoside digoxin from the five selected
endophytic cultures, thus providing a novel, alternative and
eco-friendly source for the production of such a pharmaceutically important and valuable drug.

A brown filamentous endophyte, Mikrosyphar zosterae, occasionally appears as an epiendophyte of seagrass in Europe and North America. In the present study, M. zosterae was first isolated from wart-like spots of the red alga Chondrus... more

A brown filamentous endophyte, Mikrosyphar zosterae, occasionally appears as an epiendophyte of seagrass in Europe and North America. In the present study, M. zosterae was first isolated from wart-like spots of the red alga Chondrus ocellatus and identified by morphological features and molecular analysis. The production of wart-like spots M. zosterae on the host C. ocellatus fronds was confirmed using Koch's postulates and in mixed culture of the two species. Neither hypertrophic nor hyperplastic cells of host C. ocellatus were found in the wart-like spots which differed from gall composition in other species. Wart-like spot formation by brown filamentous M. zosterae on the red macroalgal fronds is reported for the first time. In the culture, three morphological types of M. zosterae were observed, which were heterotrichous, pseudoparenchymatous and monostromatic prostrate thalli. Phaeophycean hairs and reproductive organs (both unilocular and plurilocular sporangia) of M. zosterae were also observed in the culture. In conclusion, M. zosterae is a causative agent producing wart-like spots on Chondrus fronds, which is a new record in red seaweeds and was confirmed in the laboratory culture for the first time.

Phyllospheric bacterial population from medicinal plants viz. Withania somnifera, Lantana camara, Solanum nigrum and Ocimum basilicum was examined. Endo and epiphytic bacteria were isolated on Luria Bertani (L.B.) agar medium from healthy... more

Phyllospheric bacterial population from medicinal plants viz. Withania somnifera, Lantana camara, Solanum nigrum and Ocimum basilicum was examined. Endo and epiphytic bacteria were isolated on Luria Bertani (L.B.) agar medium from healthy tissues of medicinal plants. Different epiphytic and endophytic bacterial species showed different colonization frequencies. In epiphytic bacterial species, Ensifer ahhaerens had the maximum colonization frequency (67%), followed by Azotobacter chroococcum (54%), Micrococcus lylae (47%) and Kurthia zopfii (31%). While in case of endophytic study, Agromonas oligotrophica (100%), Xanthobacter flavus (75%), Lampropedia hyalina (46%), Microbacterium lacticum (40%), Kurthia zopfii (40%) and Phenylobacterium immobile (31%) showed maximum frequency. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of endophytes and their diversity in medicinal plants is concisely deliberated. Eight species of endophytic bacteria were found to produce antagonistic activity against pathogenic fungi and bacteria by plate assays. Results showed that endophytic bacterial isolates was antagonistic to fungi by agar diffusion method and bacteria by well diffusion technique. In vitro, the antimicrobial role gave fruitful results to open the way for complementary study in order to identify and purify the active compounds. In conclusion, endophytic bacteria from the four medicinal plants have antagonistic potential.