Section of Plant Pathology, Mycology and Microbiology Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Center of Research for Development, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
J Basic Microbiol. 2024 Aug;64(8):e2400080. doi: 10.1002/jobm.202400080. Epub 2024 Jun 21.
Phellinus caribaeo-quercicola is a basidiomycetous fungus, isolated as an endophyte in this study from the healthy and symptomless leaves of Inula racemosa Hook. f., an important medicinal herb growing in Kashmir Himalaya. This study combines morphological, molecular and phylogenetic techniques to identify the fungal endophyte, using the ITS sequence of nrDNA. A detached leaf assay was conducted to assess the pathogenicity of the fungal endophyte suggesting its mutually symbiotic relationship with the host. The authors also investigated the antifungal potential of the isolated endophytic strain to ascertain its use as a biocontrol agent. The study shows that P. caribaeo-quercicola INL3-2 strain exhibits biocontrol activity against four key fungal phytopathogens that cause significant agronomic and economic losses: Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium solani, and Fusarium oxysporum. Notably, P. caribaeo-quercicola INL3-2 strain is highly effective against A. flavus, with an inhibition percentage of 57.63%. In addition, this study investigates the antioxidant activity of P. caribaeo-quercicola INL3-2 strain crude extracts using ethyl acetate and methanol as solvents. The results showed that the methanolic fraction of P. caribaeo-quercicola exhibits potential as an antioxidant agent, with an IC value of 171.90 ± 1.15 µg/mL. This investigation is first of its kind and marks the initial report of this fungal basidiomycete, P. caribaeo-quercicola, as an endophyte associated with a medicinal plant. The findings of this study highlight the potential of P. caribaeo-quercicola INL3-2 strain as a dual-action agent with both biocontrol and antioxidant properties consistent with the medicinal properties of Inula racemosa. This endophytic fungus could be a promising source of natural compounds for use in agriculture, medicine, and beyond.
栓菌（Phellinus caribaeo-quercicola）是一种担子菌真菌，本研究从生长在克什米尔喜马拉雅山的药用植物蜜环蕈（Inula racemosa Hook. f.）的健康无症状叶片中分离出这种内生真菌。本研究结合形态学、分子和系统发育技术，利用 nrDNA 的 ITS 序列鉴定真菌内生菌。通过离体叶片试验评估真菌内生菌的致病性，表明其与宿主具有共生关系。作者还研究了分离的内生菌株的抗真菌潜力，以确定其作为生物防治剂的用途。研究表明，栓菌（Phellinus caribaeo-quercicola）INL3-2 菌株对引起重大农业和经济损失的四种关键真菌病原菌具有生物防治活性：黄曲霉（Aspergillus flavus）、黑曲霉（Aspergillus niger）、茄病镰刀菌（Fusarium solani）和尖孢镰刀菌（Fusarium oxysporum）。值得注意的是，栓菌（Phellinus caribaeo-quercicola）INL3-2 菌株对黄曲霉具有高度抑制作用，抑制率为 57.63%。此外，本研究还使用乙酸乙酯和甲醇作为溶剂，研究了栓菌（Phellinus caribaeo-quercicola）INL3-2 菌株粗提取物的抗氧化活性。结果表明，栓菌（Phellinus caribaeo-quercicola）的甲醇部分具有作为抗氧化剂的潜力，IC 值为 171.90 ± 1.15 µg/mL。这是首次对这种真菌担子菌进行的研究，标志着首次报道栓菌（Phellinus caribaeo-quercicola）作为与药用植物相关的内生菌。本研究结果表明，栓菌（Phellinus caribaeo-quercicola）INL3-2 菌株作为具有生物防治和抗氧化双重作用的菌株具有潜力，与蜜环蕈（Inula racemosa）的药用特性一致。这种内生真菌可能是一种有前途的天然化合物来源，可用于农业、医学等领域。
