Biotechnological Application of Endophytic Fungi Isolated from Medicinal Plants for Novel Antimicrobial Compounds

Abstract

Asymptomatic endophytic fungi that live in plant tissues have become a prolific source of bioactive compounds with antimicrobial properties. Medicinal plants possess varied endophytic communities, capable of producing secondary metabolites similar to their host and provide possibilities of drug discovery. This paper examines the isolation and characterisation of endohytic fungi of chosen medicinal plants, and its ability to produce antimicrobial products. The fungal isolates were propagated under the best laboratory conditions, and crude extracts subjected to Gram positive, Gram negative bacteria and pathogenic fungi. Some of these isolates were found to have a high level of antimicrobial activity and hence can be used as a biotechnological resource in the development of novel treatments. These results indicate that endophytic fungi are important in the identification of novel antimicrobial agents as well as underscoring their potential uses in pharmaceutical and industrial fields.