Isolation of Fungal Rhizospheric and Endophytes from Passiflora Edulis, Its Antibacterial Effect and Metabolites.

Abstract: 

Fungal Endophytes are ubiquitous in the plant kingdom, with an estimate of at least few million species. Plants may serve as a reposition of innumerable number of micro organisms known as endophytes (Bacon and White, 2000; Strobel, 2002). According to Dreg Fuss and Chapela (1994) there are may be one million species of endophytic fungi in various medicinal plants. The existence of endophytes has been known for over one hundred years. The present study was done in 

Passiflora edulis

 which is known as passion fruit, a vine species of passion flower, belonging to the family Passifloraceae. It is cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical areas and native to Southern Brazil. It

is rich in anti-oxidants, good source of fibre, controls diabetes and boosts the immune system. The fungal isolates include a total five fungi 

Trichoderma viridae, Cladorrhinium 

sp.

, Gliocladium fimbriyatum, Fusarium solani, 

and 

Alternaria alternata 

were isolated from rhizosphere while three fungi 

Cladorrhinium 

sp.

, Gliocladium fimbriyatum

, 

Mycelia sterilia

 were isolated as endophytes from the plant 

Passiflora edulis

. Three types of rhizosphere fungi 

Trichoderma viridae

,

 Fusarium solani.

Alternaria alternata

  were isolated which were found to be 50% of the population of total fungi isolated while one isolate of endophyte 

Mycelia sterilia 

was isolated which was

16.6 %.. The fungi common both as rhizospheric and endophytic include two isolates 

Gliocladium fimbriyatum 

and

 Cladorrhinium 

sp. accounting to 33.3 % of the total population of the isolates. The isolated fungal endophytes from 

Passiflora edulis

including  

Gliocladium fimbriyatum, Cunninghamella

 sp. and 

Cladorrhinium 

sp. and 

Mycelia sterilia

, were cultured in broth medium and the antibacterial study was conducted by turbidity method and Agar Diffusion technique. 

Gliocladium fimbriyatum,

 the predominant fungi

showed antibacterial property only against 

S.aureus, 

while

 Cunninghamella

 sp. and 

Cladorrhinium 

sp. showed inhibition of only against

 S.aureus

. The endophyte M

ycelia sterilia

 showed antibacterial activity only for 

S.aureus. 

Hence the fungal endophytes of 

Passiflora edulis

 with medicinal importance shows inhibition of the pathogenic bacteria. The fungi produced metabolites like acids, phenols and aldehydes