BIOPHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF EXUDATES OF ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI ISOLATED FROM CENTELLA ASIATICA AS A SOURCE OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS

Fungal exudate is the phenomenon that involves the exudation of water and metabolites produced by fungal cells, Fungal exudates are rich sources of bioactive secondary metabolites with potential applications. Exudates are a prevalent phenomenon in the fungal domain, influenced by various factors, such as the composition of the growth medium and incubation temperature. Filamentous fungi, renowned for their extensive metabolic capabilities, release exudates that act as reservoirs for a wide range of bioactive compounds. These exudates, often underexplored, contain diverse secondary metabolites and proteins with significant biological activities. From Centella asiatica, 30 fungal isolates were obtained, of which 12 were analyzed based on morphological and cultural characteristics. Among these, Talaromyces verruculosus and Penicillium chrysogenum exhibited exudate production. SEM analysis highlighted the structural morphology of the fungi, while ATR- FTIR revealed the presence of diverse functional groups, indicative of a complex chemical composition, Exudates from T. verruculosus exhibited hydroxyl (-OH) stretch, isothiocyanate (-NCS), conjugated alkene, allenes, amines, and aliphatic iodo compounds. In contrast, P. chrysogenum exudates contained secondary amines, carbodiimides, and alkenes. GC-MS analysis further identified potential bioactive compounds. These findings underscore the importance of exudate-producing fungi as a reservoir of structurally diverse bioactive compounds with promising pharmaceutical applications.