Identification and morphological characterization of fungal endophytes isolated from healthy malunggay (Moringa oleifera) leaves

• Main Author: Cerda, Christell Marie C.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2009
• Subjects: Biology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/2481
• Institution: De La Salle University

The study was conducted primarily to isolate, characterize, identify and classify endophytic fungi associated with leaves of Moringa oleifera (Malunggay). The samples were collected from San Pablo City, Laguna. Endophytic fungi were isolated using direct plating method. These fungi were cultivated in Sabouraud dextrose agar and grouped based on colonial morphology and microscopic features. A total of 6 morphologically distinct groups were identified as Aspergillus sp., Chrysosporium sp., Fusarium sp., Geotrichum sp., Rhizopus sp., and Trichoderma sp. using Malloch dichotomous and photographic keys. Geotrichum candidum has the highest percentage occurrence of 50.02%. It is followed by Chrysosporium sp., Mucor sp., Trichoderma sp., and Fusarium sp. with 21.18%, 12.71%, 6.77%, and 5.93% respectively. Aspergillus sp. has the lowest percentage occurrence of 3.39%. Endophyte Incidence was 65.56% with 118/180 M. oleifera leaflets harboring fungal endophyte symbionts.