Woodfordia fruticosa (Linn.) Kurz’s fungal endophyte Mucor souzae’s secondary metabolites, kaempferol and quercetin, bestow biological activities

Abstract

Woodfordia fruticosa is reported to have ethnomedicinal values. As exploitation of the host on a large scale is detrimental, the authors attempted to look into its endophytes for secondary metabolites. Thus, the current investigation is directed at the fungal endophytes of the leaves identified based on morphotyping by microscopy and molecular typing by internal transcribed spacer–DNA sequences. Mucor sp. was identified as M. souzae by molecular typing and its ethyl acetate extract was screened for biological activities. The antioxidant capacity of the extract exhibited 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl scavenging capacity with an IC50 of 58.64 ± 4.38 μg/ml. Bactericidal property assayed by disk diffusion in antagonism to bacterial strains revealed a notable halt to their growth. Bacterial biofilm inhibition capacity stained by acridine orange and ethidium bromide imaged by confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed the loss of microcolonies. HeLa cells subjected to M. souzae extract resulted in high degree of DNA fragmentation, revealing apparent apoptosis, and condensation of chromatin was recorded by confocal microscopy. Bioactive kaempferol and quercetin detected via thin-layer chromatography could support the biological activities. Thus, scrutiny on endophytes from untraversed plant with medicinal properties may guide researchers to the discovery of secondary metabolites as therapeutic agents with potential drug applications.