Exploring Iraq’s Fungal Diversity Isolation and Characterization of Canariomyces and Petreilla Endophytes

Background: Endophytic fungi have been considered by their multifaceted roles in inducing systemic resistance of plant hosts against pathogenic microbial infections. Subjective: The current study was designed to investigate endophytic fungal species in Sidr leaves tree in Iraq and test their antimicrobial activity against microbial pathogens. Methodology: Twenty leave samples of the Sidr plant (Ziziphus spina-christi) were collected from the Al-Midaina District in Basrah, Iraq. For fungal isolation, solid and moist culture methods were used. The recovered fungal growth from the cute edges was carefully transformed into a new plate for purification. Results: Isolated fungal species were identified using morphological features under a microscope at both macro and micro levels. Genomic DNA was extracted and sequenced using PCR products of a fungal barcode from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Collectively, the result of morphological and molecular sequencing revealed two novel endophytic fungal species, including Canariomyces microsporus and Petriella musispora, belonging to the class Sordariomycetes. These were documented for the first time in Iraqi. To test antimicrobial activity, Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB) was used as fermentation media. After 21 days of incubation, secondary metabolites were extracted. The result of primary screening of endophytic fungal metabolites against pathogenic bacteria indicated significant inhibitory activity of C. microspores (25 mm; 7 mm) and P. musispora (20 mm; 5 mm) against Staphylococcus aureus and less effectivity against Escherichia coli. Conclusion: This study indicates the possibility of isolation of novel endophytic fungi from Sidr leaves for medical applications such as treating bacterial infections.