Title : Isolation, characterization, and antibacterial activity of foliar fungal endophytes from rhizophora stylosa griff
Abstract:
The increasing demand for screening novel metabolites combating antibiotic resistance and plant diseases, set researchers to utilize mangrove-associated endophytic fungi, as they thrive in complex and dynamically challenging habitats, making them a valuable source of bioactive compounds. In this study, a total of twenty-eight (28) endophytic fungi isolated from the foliar tissues of Rhizophora stylosa Griff. in Bayug Island, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Mindanao, Philippines. These isolates were identified through culture morphology and microscopic characterizations on genus level. Further screened of for antibacterial activity by adopting paper disc diffusion assay, using Escherichia coli BIOTECH 1634, Staphylococcus aureus BIOTECH 1582, Xanthomonas sp. isolated from rice leaf and capsicum leaf tissues. Results demonstrated five (5) isolates showing antibacterial activity, namely, Aspergillus sp. (ML9C1B), Cladosporium sp. (ML9C1A), Sclerotinia sp. (ML2C1B), Rhizoctonia sp. (ML10C4A) and ML2C3D (unidentified) against E. coli and S. aureus. Meanwhile, only Sclerotinia sp. (ML2C1B) exhibited antibacterial activity against Xanthomonas sp. from rice leaf, none of the isolates were found effective against Xanthomonas sp. from capsicum leaf. Findings conclude that mangrove-associated fungi are potential source for novel drug discovery, thus, requiring further studies.
Keywords: antibacterial, endophytes, mangrove-associated fungi, Rhizophora stylosa Griff
