In Vitro Biological Activities of an Endophytic Fungus, Trichoderma sp. L2D2 Isolated from Anaphalis contorta

The endophytic fungus, Trichoderma sp. L2D2 was isolated from the medicinal plant Anaphalis contorta and has been assessed for extracellular enzyme production, plant growth promotion, antifungal, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities in vitro. The endophyte has been found to produce amylase, cellulose, and ammonia qualitatively. The antifungal activity was evaluated using Curvularia lunata, Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Sclerotium oryzae, Rhizoctonia solani, Alternaria brassicicola, Colletotrichum capsici, Ustilaginoidea virens, and Alternaria tenuissima by the dual culture method and showed strong antifungal activity with 100% inhibition against S. oryzae and C. capsici. For antibacterial activity, ethyl acetate extract of Trichoderma sp. L2D2 was tested against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, and Shigella flexneri by the agar well diffusion method and the 96-well microplate method, and has shown the lowest MIC of 15.62 µg/ml against S. aureus and E. coli. The DPPH assay was used to examine the free radical scavenging activity of the crude extract of the endophytic fungus and showed good antioxidant activity with an IC₅₀ value of 85.94 µg/ml.