Phylogenetic analysis and diversity of novel endophytic fungi isolated from medicinal plant Sceletium tortuosum

Throughout history, mankind has used plants as their primary source of sustainability, in agricultural commodities, clothing, fragrances, fertilizers, flavours, and providing shelter. There is a strong symbiotic relationship between the plant and its endophytes. Endophytes are harboured within the living plant tissues without causing neither diseases nor symptoms. They produce bioactive compounds that protect the host plants against attack of insects, pathogens and herbivores. The bioactive compounds might be utilized for pharmaceutical, agricultural, or biotechnological applications.This paper reported on the various endophytic fungi strains that were isolated from isolated from a medicinal plant, Sceletium tortuosum. Fifty Sceletium tortuosum plants were collected from three different provinces in South Africa and leaves and roots used to isolate culturable endophytes. Morphological characteristics and a genus specific PCR designed to amplify fungal internal transcribe spacer (ITS) region (ITS1 and ITS4) and elongation factor (EF 1 and 2) was used for identification. A total of 60 fungal isolates belonging to 16 genera were identified and classified. Isolates were identified to species level based on similarities with known sequences in GenBank and a large proportion of the fungi were Fusarium species (37%) followed Aspergillus (25%) and Penicillium (7%) species. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences and three potentially new isolates (DR 019 Fusarium penzigii, DR 010 Phomopsis columnaris, DR 007 Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici) were identified in the phylogenic tree that was constructed. Our results offers basic data on the symbiotic/or mutualistic relationship between the medicinal plant Sceletium tortuosum and its endophytic fungi, as well as novel species.