Influence of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth, nutrition and phytochemical constituents of Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don.

Objective: To study the isolation, identification, mass production and the effect of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi) on growth parameters of the Catharanthus roseus (C. roseus). Methods: A total of nine different AM fungi species such as Acaulospora scrobiculata, Acaulospora marrowae, Glomus aggregatum (G. aggregatum), Glomus fasciculatum, Glomus geosporum, Gigaspora margarita, Gigaspora nigra, Scutellospora heterogama and Scutellospora pellucida were isolated and identified from the root zone soil of C. roseus. Results: The phytochemical analyses showed high concentration of chlorophyll a (0.152±0.0140 µg/g), chlorophyll b (0.081±0.006 µg/g), total chlorophyll (0.233±0.020 µg/g), soluble sugar (0.051±0.004 µg/g), reducing sugar (0.060±0,007 µg/g), phenols (0.293±0.032 µg/g), ortho-dihydroxy phenols (0.275±0.022 µg/g), lipids (0.300±0.025 µg/g), proteins (0.063±0.003 µg/g) and amino acids (1.042±0.056 µg/g) in G. aggregatum inoculated C. roseus. G. aggregatum was found to perform better on growth when compared to others and phytochemical constituents of C. roseus. Conclusions: It is concluded from the present findings that the G. aggregatum and Glomus fasciculatum can be used as a potential growth promoters for the C. roseus for better yielding in the agricultural sectors