Pak. J. Bot., 43(6): 3025-3028, 2011.

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CYTOTOXIC POTENTIAL OF FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH RHIZOSPHERE AND RHIZOPLANE OF WILD AND CULTIVATED PLANTS

SHAMIM A. QURESHI¹, HIRA¹, VIQAR SULTANA¹, JEHAN ARA² AND SYED EHTESHAMUL-HAQUE³

Abstract: Discovery of anticancer drugs that must kill or disable tumor cells in the presence of normal cells without undue toxicity is an extraordinary challenge. In the past 50 years, number of highly successful drugs based upon fungal metabolites was discovered. Beside producing antibiotics, fungi have a much greater potential for producing other medicinally useful compounds including antitumor agents and immunoregulators.  Toxicity of plant or microbial material is considered as the presence of antitumor compounds. In this study culture filtrates of 51 fungal isolates, belonging to 15 genera viz., Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cephalosporium, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Drechslera, Fusarium, Macrophomina, Memnoniella, Myrothecium, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Rhizoctonia, Trichoderma and Verticillium (Pochonia)  isolated   from rhizosphere and rhizoplane of cultivated and wild plants  showed significant toxicity on brine shrimp (LC₅₀ 3.3-116 μl/ml). Aspergillus niger (LC₅₀ 3.7μl/ml), Penicillium citrinum (LC₅₀ 3.7μl/ml), P. purpurescens (LC₅₀ 3.3μl/ml) P. rugulosum (LC₅₀ 6.3 μl/ml) and Penicillium sp., (LC₅₀ 4.3 μl/ml) showing highest mortality of brine shrimp.  Fungi associated with rhizosphere and rhizoplane of wild and cultivated plants offer a unexhousted source of antitumour agent.

¹Biotechnology and Drug Development Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan,

²Postharvest Technology Laboratory, Department of Food Science & Technology, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan,

³Agricultural Biotechnology and Phytopathology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.