Isolation and Characterization of Endophytic Fungi from Leaves of (Cnestis palala (Lour.) Merr)

Abstract

Belimbing hutan (Cnestis palala (Lour.) Merr) is recognized as a distinctive plant in East Kalimantan, commonly used by the local community for treating internal diseases, postpartum conditions, abdominal pain, and urinary tract disorders. The benefits of belimbing hutan cannot be separated from the compounds contained in it. However, the limited population makes exploration of this plant hampered. Endophytic fungi are an interesting alternative for exploring secondary metabolites from this plant. To date, there have been no scientific reports on endophytic fungus of belimbing hutan. This research successfully isolated and characterized three isolates from the leaves of belimbing hutan with isolate codes IJP₁ exhibiting white colonies with a cotton-like texture, IJP₂ colonies are white and fiber-shaped, IJH₁ with green colonies accompanied by concentric circles. The diversity of endophytic fungi in belimbing hutan leaves opens up possibilities for discovering potential compounds from the extracts of these fungi.