Isolation and study of endophytes from leaves of Ficus racemosa L.

Abstract

Endophytes are endosymbionts residing in the internal tissues of host plants without causing any apparent damage or harm to the host. They have been found in virtually every plant studied so far. Microbial endophytes are known to produce a wide range of bioactive compounds which may actually contribute to host plant health such as phyto-hormones or by increasing resistance against the plant pathogens and parasites. Considering that only a few endophytes have been studied, they constitute a poorly investigated group of microorganisms with abundant potential as a source of biologically important and chemically novel compounds with significant pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. Ficus racemosa L. is a moderate sized avenue tree found throughout India either wild or cultivated. It has been largely used in indigenous medicinal systems. Phytochemical analysis of this plant has revealed the presence of various medicinally active compounds which may be of endophytic origin. These may be exploited for the large scale production of various associated bioactive compounds. The current study deals with the isolation and study of bacterial endophytes from leaves and nodules, of Ficus racemosa. Further, the isolates were screened for production of phenolic compounds. The total phenolic content was estimated by performing a spectrophotometric assay.