PJB-2024-279
Biodiversity of fungal endophytes from Thymus spp. and Peganum spp. in Gilgit-Baltistan
Prof. Dr. SHer Wali Khan
Abstract
Gilgit Baltistan (GB) is rich in biodiversity of medicinal plants, yet there remains a significant gap in research regarding the biodiversity of endophytic fungi associated with these plants. In this study, we investigated the biodiversity of endophytic fungi in Peganum harmala and Thymus spp. The analysis demonstrates a diverse array of fungi isolated from stem, leaf, and root samples of both medicinal plants. The stem samples of Peganum harmala exhibited a high colonization frequency (61.11%), with notable species including Rhizopus spp., Aspergillus nidulans, and Alternaria spp. Leaves showed a slightly lower diversity, yet maintained a significant colonization frequency (50.00%), while roots displayed comparable diversity to stems, with a colonization frequency of 64.28%. In Thymus spp., stem samples displayed a colonization frequency of 65.63%, with prominent species such as Alternaria alternata and Fusarium spp., while leaf samples showed a frequency of 66.61%, including Colletotrichum spp. and Rhizopus spp., and roots exhibited the highest colonization frequency at 72.00%, featuring species like Alternaria alternata and Trichoderma spp. Overall, an average colonization frequency of 58.46% was observed across all plant parts in Peganum harmala and 68.06% in Thymus spp., indicating prevalent endophytic fungal colonization. Furthermore, the Species Diversity Index (SDI) revealed a relatively high level of species diversity within both ecosystems, with notable contributions from Rhizopus spp., Alternaria spp., and Penicillium spp. However, some species, such as Aspergillus nidulans and Nigrospora spp., showed lower contributions to overall diversity. This study underscores the importance of endophytic fungal dynamics in medicinal plants of GB.
To Cite this article:
Download
