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FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING AND IN VITRO IMMUNOMODULATORY ACTIVITIES OF ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI OF OCIMUM SANCTUM LINN.

SMITA MADAGUNDI1, PRASANNA HABBU*1, JAGADISH K S 2, SUNIL SHUKLA 3, MANJUNATH SALAGARE1, VENKATRAO KULKARNI 3

1Department of Pharmacognosy, SET’s College of Pharmacy, Dharwad- 580 002. Karnataka, India
2 Department of Agricultural Microbiology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad-580 002. Karnataka, India.
3 Department of Pharmacology, SET’s College of Pharmacy, Dharwad- 580 002. Karnataka, India.

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In the present investigation, we aimed to isolate root fungal endophytic fractions (TRF) from Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum Linn.). Endophytic fungi (TRF-3 and TRF-6) from Ocimum sanctum Linn. roots were isolated and cultured aseptically in potato dextrose agar (PDA) media. The full fledged grown fungus cultures were fractionated using ethyl acetate. Crude fungal fractions were subjected to in-vitro free radical scavenging (2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl, (DPPH) assay, hydroxyl radical assay and for their reducing power) and immunomodulatory activities in vitro on the functions of human polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells such as phagocytosis, intracellular killing activity of Candida albicans, chemotaxis and reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) dye. The IC50 values for TRF-3 and TRF-6 were found to 271.74 μg/mL and 140.54 μg/mL respectively for DPPH assay and 298.61 μg/mL, and 361.76 μg/mL for hydroxyl assay respectively. A dose dependent decrease in the neutrophil was observed with maximum reduction of 89.78% for TRF-3 and 74.75% for TRF-6 respectively in the NBT assay. The mean particle number of phagocytosis of killed Candida albicans was found to be 7-8 for both TRF-3 and TRF-6 repectively at 100 μg/mL as compared to standard. In chemotaxis assay, treatment with TRF-3 and TRF-6 showed maximum number of neutrophils at 100 μg/mL which was comparable with the standard. These results confirmed the anti-free radical potentiality and immunostimulatory effects of Ocimum sanctum endophytic fungi. Thus plant endophytes can be explored and used as an alternative source for secondary metabolites and for therapeutic utility.