Isolation, identification and bioactivity analysis of an endophytic fungus isolated from Aloe vera collected from Asir desert, Saudi Arabia

Endophytic fungi isolated from desert plants are among the less known organisms with potentially valuable applications. The bioactivities of an endophytic fungus isolated from Aloe vera, a plant found in central regions of Asir desert, Saudi Arabia. Based on primary phytochemical screening, an efficient isolate was selected and identified according to the sequence analysis of the internal spacer regions ITS1, ITS4 and the 5.8S region as Preussia africana belonging to the family Sporormiaceae. The crude extract of this fungus was evaluated for its bioactivities. Under static conditions, the crude extract at a concentration of 500 mu g/mL had a strong 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging rate of 87%, whereas a higher concentration (100 mu g/mL) had an astounding wound healing effect (42.6% at 48 h) when compared to positive control. Moreover, the crude extract with a concentration of 50 mu g/mL was active against almost all cancer cell lines such as HeLa (cervical cancer), Hep G2 (liver cancer), MCF-7 (breast cancer), A549 (lung cancer), LN-229 (glioblastoma), A-431 (skin cancer), and kidney cell line (HEK 293T). The results suggest that the endophytic fungus P. africana from A. vera has wide therapeutic applications against severe disease conditions.

Automated summary

Endophytic fungi isolated from desert plants, such as Preussia africana from Aloe vera, show promising bioactivities including strong antioxidant and wound healing effects, as well as activity against various cancer cell lines, indicating their wide therapeutic potential against severe diseases.