Diversity and Identification of Endophytic Fungi Isolated from Different Marine associated Plants

An increasing threat is attributed to diseases such as cancer and various infections globally, creating an urgent need for innovative and effective compounds that possess distinct mechanisms of action to combat these lifethreatening illnesses.In the present work, we analyzed the diversity and identification of endophytic fungi isolated from the marine associated plants.Totally, 135 fungal isolates harboring inside the leaf tissues of 6 marine associated plants such as Aegiceras corniculatum, Acanthus ilicifolius, Cyphostemma setosum, Excoecaria agallocha, Rhizophora mucronata and Suaeda maritima.The maximum diversity colonies of endophytic fungi in R. mucronata was significantly higher in leaves as compared to other plants.Eight isolates representing the genera Aspergillus, Beauveria, Fusarium, Macrophomina, Nigrospora, Pestalotiopsis, Pencillium and Rhizopus were obtained.Diversity indices, specifically the Shannon and Simpson indices exhibited variation in relation to the plant leaf species.The richness of fungal endophyte diversity suggests that these organisms may significantly contribute to plant health, metabolic processes and medicinal properties.Fungal endophytes have also demonstrated various biological activities that can be utilized for promoting environmental and agricultural sustainability.