Endophytes: An asset for their hosts

Abstract

Endophytes are beneficial for the plants in various ways as they fix nitrogen and solubilise phosphate. Moreover, they also produce different compounds like antimicrobial compounds, secondary metabolites, terpenoids, phytohormones and defense enzymes, phenols, antibiotics and plant growth regulators which further help the plants to survive better in their environment. This attribute of endophytes needs to be further investigated so that endophytes can be used as a source to extract these bioactives efficiently.