Community Structure Diversity of Endophytic Fungi in Cissampelos pareira from Different Habitats and Their α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity

<i>Cissampelos pareira</i> is a medicinal plant with the potential effect of treating diabetes, commonly used by the Dai people in southern Yunnan Province. However, the wild resources of <i>C. pareira</i> are currently scarce. Endophytic fungi are a natural component of medicinal plants, while also serving as important repositories for discovering active natural products. In this study, we focused on 2-year-old <i>C. pareira</i> plants cultivated in potted and non-potted conditions. The community structure of endophytic fungi in the roots, stems, leaves, and flowers of two cultivation methods of <i>C. pareira</i> was investigated by using high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and traditional culture methods. Through HTS, we discover that the richness and diversity of endophytic fungi in <i>C. pareira</i> are associated with its growth environment and plant tissues. The endophytic fungi richness of <i>C. pareira</i> showed significant differences between the two habitats. And significant differences existed in the diversity of root endophytic fungi of <i>C. pareira</i> compared to those in the stems, leaves, and flowers. Additionally, the richness of endophytic fungi in the stems showed significant differences from that in the roots, leaves, and flowers. The results obtained using traditional culture methods revealed 69 endophytic fungi strains, classified into 2 phylum, 4 classes, 11 orders, 23 families, and 69 genera. The fermentation products of the obtained strains were evaluated for in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, and the results demonstrated that 11 endophytic fungi strains exhibited an inhibition rate exceeding 80%. The above-mentioned study can provide a theoretical basis for a comprehensive understanding of the community composition and diversity of endophytic fungi in <i>C. pareira</i>.