Endophytic fungal
community associated with the mangrove plant, Aegiceras corniculatum with the predominance
of Penicillium citrinum and Colletotrichum siamense: A reservoir of biocatalysts
and antibacterial molecules
Revathy M.R., Anjali S. Mohan, Dhanya Kesavan, Manomi S. and Rosamma Philip
Res. J. Biotech.; Vol. 20(2); 20-32;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/202rjbt020032; (2025)
Abstract
This study explored the endophytic fungal community associated with the leaves of
a mangrove plant, Aegiceras corniculatum. An isolation frequency of 9.53% was observed
and 102 endophytic fungi could be isolated and maintained. The isolates displayed
diverse colony morphologies, predominantly belonging to Ascomycota (95%) and a minor
portion to Basidiomycota (5%). Within Ascomycota, the most represented classes were
Sordariomycetes, Eurotiomycetes and Dothideomycetes. The most abundant genera were
Penicillium (27%), Colletotrichum (24%) and Alternaria (13%). Totally seventeen
endophytic fungal species were identified from Aegiceras corniculatum.
Penicillium citrinum (22%), Colletotrichum siamense (21%) and Alternaria alternata
(13%) were the predominant species. The colonization frequency indicated Penicillium
citrinum as the most prevalent species at 2.3%, followed by Colletotrichum siamense
at 2% and Alternaria alternata at 1.2%. The isolates demonstrated significant hydrolytic
enzyme production and antimicrobial activity, indicating their potential utility
in aquaculture and medicine.
