GC-MS Analysis of Secondary Metabolites of Endophytic Fusarium sp. Isolated from Two Medicinal Plants: Zingiber officinale. Roscoe and Ocimum tenuiflorum. L.

Abstract

Endophytic fungi represent an untapped reservoir of bioactive compounds with significant pharmaceutical and agricultural potential. This study aims to explore the endophytic fungal diversity associated with Zingiber officinale. Roscoe (ginger) and Ocimum tenuiflorum. L. (tulsi) and to investigate their secondary metabolite production. The present work is carried out for isolation, characterization of endophytic fungi from selected medicinal plants and further extraction and characterization of secondary metabolites with potential bioactivity. The study conclusively established the successful isolation and morphological characterization of diverse endophytic fungal communities residing within the tissues of Zingiber officinale and Ocimum tenuiflorum. A variety of genera, prominently including Fusarium sp., Aspergillus sp., and Penicillium sp., were consistently identified, confirming the strong endophytic association within these important medicinal plants. comprehensive chemical profiling of secondary metabolites from a selected Fusarium sp. Isolate (Code ZOF1). This isolate demonstrated robust growth in submerged fermentation, yielding substantial biomass and a rich crude extract. GC-MS analysis unveiled a complex and varied metabolome, with 13 distinct compounds tentatively identified. Key among these were significant quantities of fatty acids (e.g., Tetradecanoic acid), as well as a notable presence of cyclic dipeptides (e.g., Cyclo(L-prolyl-L-valine), Pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, hexahydro-3-(2-methylpropyl)-) and pyridine derivatives. This study underscores the biotechnological potential of endophytic fungi as a sustainable source of secondary metabolites and highlights their role in the discovery of new antimicrobial compounds. This finding significantly contributes to the catalogue of fungal endophytes associated with traditional medicinal flora, highlighting these specific host plants as rich and underexplored biodiversity hotspots for microbial natural product discovery.