Isolation, identification and bioactivity of endophytic fungi from medicinal plant Malus sieboldii.

OBJECTIVE

To isolate and identify endophytic fungi from Malus sieboldii, and detect cytotoxicity, protease inhibition and antifungal activities of their crude extracts.

METHODS

The fungi were identified with the aid of morphology or Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) rDNA molecular methods. Fungal activities were tested by cylinder-plate, MTT and BRpNA methods, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 217 endophytic fungi were isolated from M. sieboldii. Of the 22 taxa obtained, non-sporulating, Alternaria, Colletotrichum, Aspergillu, Fusarlum, Gliocladium and Cunninghamella were dominant communities. The result of the bioactivity test showed that 30 endophytic fungi displayed inhibition against at least one pathogenic fungus, and 3 and 4 showed cytotoxicity and protease inhibition, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

M. sieboldii should be a potential source of bioactive endophytic fungi.