Isolation and Identification of Endophytic Fungi from Ricinus Communis Linn. and Their Antibacterial Activity

The aim of this study was to identify the endophytic fungi from medicinal plant Ricinus communis and to investigate their potential antibacterial activity. 10 fungal species of endophytic fungi were successfully isolated from Ricinus communis including Aspergillus fumigates, Aspergillus japonicas, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium semitectum, Curvularia pallescens, Phoma hedericola, Alternaria tenuissima, Fusarium solani, Drechslera australien and Aspergillus repens. The fungal extracts were assessed for antibacterial activity against six human pathogenic bacterial strains: Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcous sp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus. Most of the extracts showed in vitro inhibition of bacterial growth. The phytochemical screening revealed the existence of a diverse group of secondary metabolites in the crude extracts of the endophytic fungi that resemble those in the host plant extracts.