Survey of Phyllosphere & Endophyte Mycoflora Isolated from Adhatoda vasica Nees and Estimation of Some Secondary Metabolites

Isolation and enumeration of phyllospheric and endophytic fungal diversity were carried out from the medicinal plant, Adhatoda vasica Nees. Occurrence of phyllosphere fungi shows a total number of 3 fungal species (Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., and Cladosporium cladosporioides). A total number of 4 (Alternaria alternata, Curvularia lunata, Mycelia sterilia1 and Aspergillus niger) and 3 (Alternaria alternata, Mycelia sterilia 2 and Penicillium sp.) fungi were isolated from leaf and stem respectively. Alternaria alternata shows to be the highest colonizer in leaf which was followed by Curvularia lunata. Mycelia sterilia 2 represented highest colonization frequency in stem. Production of total phenol, and antagonistic activity were carried out with the dominant endophytic isolates from leaf and stem. Alternaria alternata shows the highest production of phenol and highest extent of antioxidant activity. The dominant isolates failed to show any antagonistic activity against the gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The presence of some phytochemical compounds, available in Adhatoda vasica, was also tested qualitatively in the vegetative body of the dominant endophytic isolates.