Isolation and Functional Characterization of Selected Endophytic Fungi Associated to Euphorbia hirta L

Abstract

The endophytic fungi were isolated from healthy leaf tissues of Euphorbia hirta L., the sample was newlinecollected from Botanical Garden, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Total 18 isolates with 14 newlinedifferent morphotypes were recovered from leaf tissues on PDA plates. Out of 14 endophytes, only newlinefour were identified based both morphological and microscopic features while, only two isolates, newlineEHL2 and EHL5 were identified as Nigrospora sphaerica and Cladosporium oxysporum, respectively newlinebased on molecular approach. The crude extract of all the 14 endophytic fungi were screened for newlineantibacterial activity against six human pathogenic bacteria viz. Enterococcus faecalis, newlineStaphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhimurium and newlineShigella boydii. About 42.85% isolated fungi were active against various human pathogenic bacteria. newlineOnly isolate Nigrospora sphaerica EHL2 (7.14%), showed positive activity against all the six newlinepathogenic bacteria, while the other isolates showed activity against less than six bacterial pathogens. newlineHowever, all the 14 endophytic fungi were tested for antioxidant activity through DPPH assay in newlinemicrotitre plate. Out of 14 isolates, only one endophyte Nigrospora sphaerica (7.14 %) was able to newlineshow positive antioxidant activity. All the recovered morphotypes were tested for the production of newlinedifferent extracellular enzymes, where 10 (71.43%) isolates showed enzymatic activity for one or newlinemore enzyme. newline