Endolichenic Fungi Associated With Pyxinecocoescollected From Arunachal Pradesh And Their Antimicrobial Activities Against Some Test Pathogens

Abstract

Pyxinecocoes, foliose lichen with recognized medicinal value, contains a wide range of endolichenic fungi that may produce biologically active metabolites. This study focused on isolating and assessing the antimicrobial potential of these fungi from surface-sterilized thalli of P. cocoes. Fungal isolation was carried out on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), Malt Extract Agar (MEA), and Water Agar (WA), yielding 47 distinct isolates. Identification was based on macroscopic colony features and microscopic observations. Mycelia sterilia was the most frequently occurring isolate, along with other genera such as Penicillium and Drechslera. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the agar cup diffusion method against clinically important pathogens—Candida albicans (MTCC 227), Escherichia coli (MTCC 443), and Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 737). All isolates exhibited varying levels of inhibition. The results highlight P. cocoes as a reservoir of endolichenic fungi with significant potential for discovering novel therapeutic compounds.