Isolation and identification fungal endophytes from the leaves and fruits of two therapeutically important Ficus species

Abstract

The constant demand for new biochemicals to advance human life necessitates the study of organisms from novel biotopes. The scientific community is paying more attention to endophytes, one of the inhabitants of novel biotopes, as they have already gained recognition for their production of numerous novel biochemicals and for their enormous potential to contribute to the development of effective solutions to the world's most pressing problems. The aim of the current study is to discover, compare, and isolate the endophytic community of Ficus exasperata Vahl. and Ficus drupacea Thunb. The presence of endophytes was discovered in the leaves and fruits of both plant species. A greater number of organisms were found in the leaves, while only a few were found in the fruits. All of the isolates were from the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota divisions. The majority of the isolates belonged to the Ascomycota division, with only a few belongings to the Basidiomycota division.