Source: SEAMEO BIOTROP's Research Grant | 2014
Abstract:
Endophytic fungi are well studied in temperate angiosperms and gymnosperms. However, it was only in the past decades that tropical plants received attention for their endophytic fungi. Thus, it resulted in little information on their diversity and potential applications. Mangroves provide a unique ecological environment for numerous flora and fauna, in cluding fungi. In the Philippines and Indonesia, the fungal endophytes associated with mangroves (manglicolous fungi) are among the less studied endophytes. This study was conducted to isolate and determine the antibacterial activity of mangrove endophytic fungi taken from coastal areas in Barru, South Sulawesi and the Zamboanga Peninsula, the Philippines. Surface sterilization method was applied to isolate the fungal endophytes. Antibacterial activity was determined using agar well diffusion. A total of 351 isolates of endophytic fungi from seven different morphospecies were isolated from mangrove leaves collected in Barru, Segeri, and Marros, South Sulawesi and the Zamboanga Peninsula (Region of Bolong and Cawit), the Philippines. Antagonism test of the endophytic fungi against test bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) was performed to select the high number of endophytic fungal isolates. The antagonism test resulted that ten isolates of endophytic fungi (2.85%) was potential to produce antibacterial compounds with the inhibition zone diameter from 5.5 to 18.5 mm. Detection on the fractions after thin layer chromatography showed that the antibacterial compounds were proposed as saponins, terpenoids and alkaloids.Download full report