Evaluation of Antifungal Effect of Allium jesdianum Bacterial Endophytes on Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes

Abstract

: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of microbes to survive and grow in the presence of antimicrobial drugs. Bacterial endophytes, which reside within plants, can promote plant growth and other essential activities. Endophytes have the potential to produce novel and unique products for use in modern medicine, agriculture, and industry. They may hold the key to combating drug-resistant strains by providing new antimicrobial compounds, potentially leading to the development of new medications. In this study, bacterial endophytes of Allium jesdianum were extracted and characterized. The antifungal effect of these endophytes on Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes was evaluated. Various parts of the plant were used to isolate ten bacterial endophytes to assess their antifungal properties. Universal eubacterial primers were used to amplify a 1500 bp region of the 16S rRNA gene. The resulting partial nucleotide sequences were compared with sequences available from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and EzBioCloud Database. Subsequent comparisons determined their similarity. Each isolated endophyte was cultured with equal amounts of R. stolonifer, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and T. mentagrophytes. This study measured the level of antagonism by assessing the extent of potential interactions. Ten bacterial endophytes, primarily cocci and bacilli, were extracted from different parts of A. jesdianum. The isolates were identified as Staphylococcus warneri AJB1, Staphylococcus succinus AJB2, Pseudomonas thivervalensis AJB3, Bacillus subtilis AJB4, Acinetobacter lwoffii AJB5, and Pantoea brenneri AJB6. AJB1 and AJB3 showed no antagonistic activity. AJB2, AJB5, and AJB6 displayed antagonistic action against R. stolonifer. Only AJB4 showed strong antagonistic activity against Penicillium. Further research is necessary to determine whether these endophytes possess antibiotic activity and can be used for food preservation.