In vitro antioxidant potential of endophytic fungi isolated from Enicostemma axillare (Lam.) Raynal. and Ormocarpum cochinchinense (Lour.) Merr.

Abstract

To elucidate the antioxidant potential of ethyl acetate extracts of the endophytic fungi isolated from Enicostemma axillare and Ormocarpum cochinchinense. Four different endophytic fungal extracts were examined for the presence of various phytochemicals by qualitative and quantitative methods and its antioxidant activity was analyzed by DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Saponins, phenols, flavonoids, and cardiac glycosides were the main phytochemicals present in the endophytic extracts of Enicostemma axillare and phenols, cardiac glycosides and terpenoids in the case of Ormocarpum cochinchinense. There was a correlation found between the phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of the extracts. The endophytes from Enicostemma axillare was found to have the highest phenolic content and thereby had the highest antioxidant activity of 68% at 100µg concentration. The present results revealed that metabolites produced by the endophytic fungi isolated from Enicostemma axillare and Ormocarpum cochinchinense could be a potential source of novel antioxidant compounds.