Isolation and Morphological Identification of Culturable Endophytic Fungal Species from Mangrove Ecosystem

Abstract

Endophytic fungi inhabit healthy plant tissues, and are now considered as ubiquitous symbionts of plants. Besides having the positive effects on the plants in phytostimulation, production of pigments, enzymes and bioactive compounds and nutrient cycling, they are also responsible for the destruction of host tissues and toxic production within the host. The endophytic fungi can be found in any part of the plant such as scale primordial, meristem, resin ducts, petiole, buds, stem, root, shoot, leaves, barks and even in the pneumatophores. Mangroves act as a host for plenty of endophytic fungal populations. The endophytic fungi obtained from mangroves have certain specialized characteristics and are resistant to several environmental stress conditions. Aim of the present study is to isolate and identify endophytic fungi inhabiting mangrove plant species that are abundantly found along the state of Northern Kerala, India. The collected plant specimens were surface sterilized and ground to paste form to earn the extract, which was then inoculated into the medium to obtain fungal culture. Among seven plant specimens collected, six types of endophytic fungi were morphologically identified as Aspergillus sp. (two different species), Penicillium sp., Alternaria sp., Fusarium sp. and Sarocladium sp.