ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI FROM MEDICINAL PLANT AND ITS ANTI-OXIDANT,ANTI-MICROBIAL,ANTI-FUNGAL AND ANTI-CANCER ACTIVITY

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Endophytic fungi living in plant tissues have received considerable attention due to their many bioactive compounds with potential pharmaceutical applications. This study focuses on the isolation and identification of endophytic fungi from the noni plant (Morinda citrifolia) and evaluates their antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer activities. Noni plants were collected from different ecological niches and endophytic fungi were isolated from different plant tissues using surface sterilization techniques. The isolated fungi were grown in a suitable environment and morphological and molecular techniques were used to identify them. Antioxidant activity of endophytic fungal extracts was determined by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) tests. The results showed a significant antioxidant potential of several extracts, indicating their ability to scavenge free radicals. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was evaluated against a panel of pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, using agar well spread and broth microdilution methods. Namely, certain extracts have shown strong antimicrobial activity against both Gram- positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungal pathogens, suggesting their potential as natural antimicrobial agents. In addition, the anticancer activity of extracts was evaluated using different cancer cell lines by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and cell morphology analysis. Encouragingly, selected extracts have shown significant cytotoxic activity against cancer cells, highlighting their potential as anticancer agents. Keywords: Endophytic fungi, anti-cancer activity, anti-microbial, agar well diffusion.

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