Mycoendophytes Isolated from Mimusops elengi. L - A First Report

Endophytes are organisms present in the internal tissues living in symbiotic association with plants. These organisms may be used as alternative source of many secondary metabolites production. The present study was conducted to explore the endophytic fungi that colonize the inner tissues of medicinal plant Mimusops elengi L. Out of 100 plant segments of both leaves and twigs of Mimusops elengi. L were surface sterilized and inoculated in potato dextrose agar plates and incubated for 4 weeks. A total of 17 endophytic fungi were isolated. Endophytic infection rate of Mimusops elengi L. was 88% in both leaves and twigs segments. Among them 10 were sterile morpho species differentiated by their morphological characteristics. The remaining 7 species were classified into 6 genera, with 2 species from Phoma genera and belonging to Coelomycetes, and 5 species from 5 genera belonging to Hyphomycetes. Nigrospora sphaerica showed the highest frequency of colonization of 42% and 34% in leaves and twigs, respectively, followed by sterile form IS6, Alternaria Sp., and sterile form IS4. Shannon diversity index was higher in twigs (H’= 0.35) and lower in leaves (H’= 0.18). Shannon evenness and relative index for Shannon were predominated in twigs (E’= 0.153 and RIH’= 0.093, respectively) followed by leaves (E’= 0.079 and RIH’= 0.048, respectively). Both twigs and leaves showed similar Gleason index (HG’) and relative index of Gleason (RIG’) equal to 2.378 and 0.20, respectively. The enumeration of biodiversity of endophytic fungi were dominated by Nigrospora sphaerica, Sterile form IS6, Sterile form IS4, Alternaria Sp., and Phoma Sp.