ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH OCIMUM SANCTUM

• Published in: JURNAL TEKNOLOGI-SCIENCES & ENGINEERING
• Main Authors: Jalil, Mohd Taufiq Mat; Yahya, Mohd Fakharul Zaman Raja; Zakaria, Nurul Aili; Ibrahim, Darah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: PENERBIT UTM PRESS 2024
• Subjects: Engineering
• Online Access: https://www-webofscience-com.uitm.idm.oclc.org/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:001242619000011

Endophytic fungi of the medicinal herb, Ocimum sanctum are believed to possess antifungal activity against pathogenic fungi. Due to the emergence of pathogenic fungi and antibiotic-resistant strains, the search for alternative antimicrobial agents is a need. The present study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of endophytic fungi isolated from O. sanctum. Plate -to -plate method, disk diffusion assay, and Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) were employed in this study. The finding revealed that fungal isolates Colletotrichum sp. IBRL OS -39, Aspergillus sp. IBRL OS -65, Muscodor sp. IBRL OS -94 and Muscodor sp. IBRL OS -98 was able to produce volatile compounds with antifungal activity against pathogenic fungi. On the disk diffusion assay, Lasiodiplodia sp. IBRL OS -64, and Muscodor sp. IBRL OS -94 displayed good antifungal activity against test fungi with a diameter of inhibition zone between 9.6 +/- 0.6 - 14.3 +/- 0.6 mm and 11.2 +/- 1.2 - 15.7 +/- 0.6 mm, respectively. SEM observations revealed remarkable morphological changes in Candida albicans treated with the dichloromethane extracts of Lasiodiplodia sp. IBRL OS -64 and Muscodor sp. IBRL OS -94 with severe cell damage beyond repair and thus leads to cell death.