Isolation, Identification of Endophytic Fungi from Mangrove Roots along the Coast of South Andaman Sea,Andaman and Nicobar Islands,India

Madhusudan Thorati, Jayant

Abstract

Isolation, Identification of Endophytic Fungi from Mangrove Roots along the Coast of South Andaman Sea,Andaman and Nicobar Islands,India With the objective of isolation and identification of endophytic fungi from the mangrove roots, this study was carried out in the roots of three different mangrove plants; Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucornata and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza found along the coast south Andaman, Andaman sea, India. Endophytic fungi from stilt and knee roots of these three different mangrove species were isolated. Isolated fungi were cultured on PDA medium and fungal colonies were identified on the basis of the colony morphology. A total of seven fungal strains Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, A. paraciticus, A. fumigatus, Syncephalastrum racemosum, Penicillium resticulosum and Fusarium ciliatum were identified. Among these, Aspergillus species were prominent throughout the year, whereas Syncephalastrum racemosum and Fusarium ciliatum were observed in rainy and dry season respectively. The host specific colonization of the endophytic fungi was observed and the species varied among the mangrove roots based on their exposure to sea water.