Histological Observation, Identification, and Secondary Metabolites Content in Endophytic Fungi of Mahogany Tree (Swietenia mahagoni Jacq )

Abstract

The mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni Jacq.) tree is a sort of medicinal plant. The phytochemical analysis by previous research has proved that the mahogany bark methanol extract is contained i.e alkaloid, tannin, saponin, phenol hydroquinone, and flavonoid. Some medicinal plant that has mutualism symbiotic interaction with several endophytic fungi species are relatively resistant to infections caused by pathogenic microbial. This research aimed: (1) to determine the endophytic fungi hyphae isolated from leaves and twigs of S. mahagoni, (2) to identify endophytic fungi isolated from leaves and twigs S. mahagoni, (3) to analyze several secondary metabolite contents that produced from each endophytic fungi species isolated from leaves and twigs of S. mahagoni. The leaves and twigs of S. mahagoni were prepared to do histological observation. The plant parts were inoculated on a PDA plate medium incubated into 25 o C-27 o C for a week for identification of fungal characteristics. Each endophytic fungi species on PDA medium were cut into 5x1 cm in size inoculated on potato dextrose liquid medium. The liquid culture is centrifugated and the supernatant was taken to detect secondary metabolite contents by using the spectrophotometric method. The data were consisting of macroscopic, microscopic characteristics, and secondary metabolites content of each endophytic fungi species was analyzed descriptively. This research showed that the endophytic fungi hyphae were found, on the twig of S. mahagoni at epidermis and parenchyma cell wall, whereas at the leaves found at epidermis, parenchyma, xylem, and stomata guard cell wall. The endophytic fungi isolated from S. mahagoni leaves and twigs were: Colletotrichum gloeosporoides, Colletotrichum theobromicola, Colletotrichum kahawae, Colletotrichum siamense, Rhizoctonia sp., Colletotrichum asianum, Hansfordia biophila, and Mycelia sterilia. Each endophytic fungi species could produce secondary metabolites, which was: flavonoid, alkaloid, tannin, saponins, and terpenoids with different contents. The flavonoid content ranged from 87,79-178,36 mg/kg; the alkaloid content ranged from 28,00-45,06 mg/kg; the tannin content ranged from 86,99-123,19 mg/kg; the saponin content ranged from 19,98-33,04 mg/kg; the terpenoid content ranged from 10,97-61,84mg/kg.