ANTIOXIDATIVE AND ANTIBACTERIAL POTENTIALS OF FUNGAL ENDOPHYTES FROM JUSTICIA WYNAADENSIS HEYNE: AN ETHNOMEDICINAL RAIN FOREST SPECIES OF WESTERN GHATS

Objective: Endophytes, living within the medicinal plants, are recognized as an alternative source of bioactive components useful for human health. This study aims to isolate and identify the fungal endophytes from the ethnomedicinal rain forest plant Justicia wynaadensis and evaluation of their antioxidant and antimicrobial potentials. Methods: Endophytic fungi were isolated and identified by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer. The secondary metabolites were extracted with ethyl acetate and evaluated for the total phenolic, flavonoid, antioxidant, and antibacterial potentials. The antioxidative capacities were determined using different experimental models, viz., radical scavenging capacity, reducing power, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. The antibacterial potential of extracts was determined through disc diffusion method and by evaluating minimum inhibitory concentration through microplate technique. Results: A total of nine fungal endophytes belonging to six genera were identified. The total phenolic content of the extracts ranged from 4.8±0.08 to 20.74±0.96 mg Gallic acid equivalent/g dry extract. Flavonoid was present in eight extracts in the range of 2.1±0.08 to 8.75±0.6 mg catechin equivalent/g dry extract. Fusarium incarnatum was found to have potentially high antioxidant capacity as well as broad spectrum antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Conclusion: This study reported various endophytic fungi from the plant J. wynaadensis. This is the first attempt to explore the treasure of endophytes and their bioactive potentiality from this plant. Hence, our findings encourage the exploration of these fungi and exploit them in search of potential drug discovery