ISOLATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF ENDOPHYTES FROM MYRISTICA MALABARICA LAM. AND THEIR BIOASSAY

The present investigation was carried out to isolate, characterize, and to study the antagonistic properties of the endophytic microbes from leaves, bark, flower, and fruits of Myristica malabarica. Standard protocols were followed for the isolation and characterization of bacterial and fungal endophytes. Altogether 16 endophytic fungal isolates and three bacterial isolates were isolated from 51 different plant segments of M. malabarica. Three fungi were identified as Aspergillus sp., Penicillium oxalicum, and white sterile mycelium. Bacterial isolates were Gram-positive and Gram-negative cocci and Gram-positive cocco-bacilli. Antagonistic activities of these organisms were tested against Sclerotium rolfsii. Compare to bacterial isolates, fungal endophytes showed good activity. The isolated endophytes were subjected to an abiotic stress tolerance study against a different range of salt and temperature in which all the three endophytic fungi showed very high growth activity only at 25 °C and 37 °C and failed to grow in other temperatures. Fungal isolates showed good amylase, cellulase, and pectinase activity, whereas bacterial isolates exhibited varied activity with respect to isolates.