Foliar Endophytic Diversity of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban in Relation to Different Seasons and Leaf Age

Abstract

Fungal endophytes are a rich source of bioactive metabolites profoundly influencing plant health and ecology. Endofungal diversity depends heavily on the biotic characters of the host and its abiotic growth conditions. To assess and bioprospect endofungal diversity in plants, it is essential to understand these factors. In the present study, isolation and assessment of colonization frequency of endophytic fungi was studied in young and mature leaves of an important medicinal herb viz., Centella asiatica L. Urban in summer, rainy and winter seasons. A maximum of 13 isolates were found during rainy season, 10 in summer and 7 in winter season with colonization frequency of 38.37%, 26.37% and 15.40% respectively. The Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index of endophytic fungi was highest in rainy season (2.24) and lowest in winter season (1.7). Likewise, the colonization frequency of endophytic fungi isolated from mature leaf was highest (47.02%) followed by young leaf (29.72%) in rainy season signifying the probable effects of leaf age on the diversity and distribution of endophytes. Results indicate that Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was the dominant species during all the seasons with mean colonization frequency of 24.56%.