Research Article · Biological Sciences · Volume 11, Issue 1 · Mar 2026 · Pages 1–14
Extraction, characterization and biological applications of Secondary Metabolites of Endophytic Fungi of Codium variegatum
A P Amsapraba, K S Janane, Gurunathan Baskar
- A P Amsapraba: Department of Biotechnology, St. Josephs College of Engineering, Chennai 600119, India.
- K S Janane: Department of Biotechnology, St. Josephs College of Engineering, Chennai 600119, India.
- Gurunathan Baskar: Department of Biotechnology, St. Josephs College of Engineering, Chennai 600119, India.
Abstract
Many chemical substances produced by some fungi find application in various spheres and therefore draw scientific interest. Among such fungi, the ones living in plant tissue attract particular attention. Codiaeum variegatum was selected as a host plant because of unique bioactive compounds produced by its fungal colonizers. In order to discover them, it was decided not to skip stages and conduct the study thoroughly. As a preliminary stage, fungi collection had to be conducted followed by cultivation in conditions where both temperature and light remain stable. For isolation of secondary metabolites of the studied fungal isolates, alcohol was used first followed by fractional separation using planar and column chromatography where each fraction had to be clearly identified. Further, the composition of obtained fractions was analyzed. The final stage consisted of bioassay. In order to find out about the composition of metabolites, techniques such as UV-Vis, FTIR and GC-MS were used. In order to determine the biological activities of discovered secondary metabolites, tests for free radical neutralization, inhibition of α-amylase and antibacterial activity were performed. Among the tested compounds, Tris (2, 4-di-tertbutylphenyl) phosphate was found which was known before for antioxidant properties. Under infrared spectroscopy examination, characteristic bands corresponding to OH groups, double bonds of carbon and phenyl rings could be observed. As amounts increased, so did radical cleanup power; enzyme interference grew stronger, bacterial growth slowed in clear patterns. From start to finish, findings point toward tiny fungi tucked inside C. variegatum leaves holding steady promise not loud claims for future drug-linked discoveries.
Keywords
Endophytic fungi; C. variegatum; Secondary metabolites; Anti-diabetic; Antibacterial activities