Unraveling the Hidden Endophytic Fungal Diversity in the Medicinally Important Species of Passiflora from Western Ghats

Abstract

Endophytes are microorganisms that grow within plant tissues in a symbiotic relationship without causing disease. In this study, five medicinally important Passiflora species viz., P. edulis, P. foetida, P. incarnata, P. subpeltata and P. vitifolia, were chosen to isolate, identify and assess the diversity of foliar endophytic fungi. A total of 89 fungal isolates representing 15 distinct fungal taxa were obtained from 500 healthy leaf segments, resulting in an overall Colonization Frequency (CF) of 17.8%. The study revealed that P. subpeltata harbored the highest CF (24%), while P. foetida showed least CF (13%). The dominant fungal endophyte among the isolates was Trichoderma spp. Diversity assessments showed significant variation among Passiflora species, P. subpeltata exhibited the highest species richness (3.776) and P. edulis had the highest Simpson dominance index (0.952), suggesting that a few fungal taxa were predominant in this host. The observed variations in species richness, diversity and CF imply that environmental variables and hostspecific characteristics were crucial in forming endophytic fungal communities. Overall, the findings demonstrated that Passiflora spp. harbor a rich and diverse assemblage of endophytic fungi and provide a strong foundation for subsequent studies focusing on the ecological significance and potential pharmaceutical, agricultural and biotechnological applications.