Internal mycobiota of marine macroalgae from the Tamilnadu coast: distribution, diversity and biotechnological potential

Eleven brown algae, six green algae and eight red algae occurring along the coast of Tamilnadu state, southern India were screened for their fungal endophyte assemblages. The green algae had a low diversity of endophytes but were more densely colonized. The brown algae supported a higher diversity of endophytes. There were a few dominant endophyte species with a wide host range and several with low colonization frequency that were restricted to a few algal species. The endophytes produced bioactive compounds that inhibited bacteria, an alga and a fungus. They also produced antioxidants and insecticidal metabolites.