Abstract

Endophytic organisms are the one which are capable of producing plant associated metabolites and their analogs with therapeutic value. To identify the potential endophytic isolates producing bioactive compounds, screening of all isolated endophytes is necessary which may run up to hundreds. Isolation of endophytic organisms is relatively a cumbersome process; but screening of the isolated fungi for required metabolite production is a cumbersome process. Endophytic organisms producing plant associated metabolites may contain genes that are involved in the entire biosynthetic pathways. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the endophytic diversity from medicinal plant Azadirachta indica occurring in Mysore region. The traditional identification was based on morphology of spores and reproductive structures. Some of those showed no reproductive structures or distinctive features were grouped into mycelia sterilia and some endophytes could not be identified to genus or species level. Among the plant parts, the colonization as well as the isolation rates of endophytic fungi was higher in bark followed by leaf samples.

Description