title: Endophytes from medicinal plants and their potential for producing indole acetic acid, improving seed germination and mitigating oxidative stress.
abstract: Medicinal plants have been used by marginal communities to treat various ailments. However, the potential of endophytes within these bio-prospective medicinal plants remains unknown. The present study elucidates the endophytic diversity of medicinal plants (Caralluma acutangula, Rhazya stricta, and Moringa peregrina) and the endophyte role in seed growth and oxidative stress. Various organs of medicinal plants yielded ten endophytes, which were identified as Phoma sp. (6 isolates), Alternaria sp. (2), Bipolaris sp. (1), and Cladosporium sp. (1) based on 18S rDNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The culture filtrates (CFs; 25%, 50%, and 100% concentrations) from these endophytes were tested against the growth of normal and dwarf mutant rice lines. Endophytic CF exhibited dose-dependent growth stimulation and suppression effects. CF (100%) of Phoma sp. significantly increased rice seed germination and growth compared to controls and other endophytes. This growth-promoting effect was due to the presence of indole acetic acid in endophytic CF. The gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis showed the highest indole acetic acid content ((54.31±0.21) µmol/L) in Bipolaris sp. In addition, the isolate of Bipolaris sp. exhibited significantly higher radical scavenging and anti-lipid peroxidation activity than the other isolates. Bipolaris sp. and Phoma sp. also exhibited significantly higher flavonoid and phenolic contents. The medicinal plants exhibited the presence of bio-prospective endophytic strains, which could be used for the improvement of crop growth and the mitigation of oxidative stresses.
authors.affiliation: UoN Chair of Oman's Medicinal Plants & Marine Natural Products, University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Oman.
authors.forename: Abdul Latif
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences & Chemistry, University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Oman.
authors.forename: Syed Abdullah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gilani
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Korea.|Department of Agriculture, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Waqas
authors.affiliation: UoN Chair of Oman's Medicinal Plants & Marine Natural Products, University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Oman.
authors.forename: Khadija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Al-Hosni
authors.affiliation: UoN Chair of Oman's Medicinal Plants & Marine Natural Products, University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Oman.
authors.forename: Salima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Khiziri
authors.affiliation: Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
authors.forename: Yoon-Ha
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: UoN Chair of Oman's Medicinal Plants & Marine Natural Products, University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Oman.
authors.forename: Liaqat
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: UoN Chair of Oman's Medicinal Plants & Marine Natural Products, University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Oman.
authors.forename: Sang-Mo
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Sajjad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asaf
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Raheem
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shahzad
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences & Chemistry, University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Oman.
authors.forename: Javid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Korea.
authors.forename: In-Jung
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: UoN Chair of Oman's Medicinal Plants & Marine Natural Products, University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Oman.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Harrasi
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry; D044822:Biodiversity; D060026:Endophytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D018525:Germination / Q000502:physiology*; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010802:Phylogeny; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000378:metabolism*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000382:microbiology*; D012639:Seeds / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; C030737:indoleacetic acid
keywords: Fungal endophytes; Diversity; Medicinal plants; Antioxidants; Indole acetic acid