Endophytic fungi isolated from Vietnamese nut grass (Cyperus rotundus L. Cyperaceae) – A promising solution to mitigate the prime phenomenon of antibiotic resistance

Abstract

Multidrug resistance in bacteria poses a significant threat to global health, creating an urgent need for new sources of antibiotics. Nut grass or Cyperus rotundus L., a common Asian medicinal herbal remedy, is gaining increasing attention in the scientific community as a potential source of antimicrobial agents. In this study, endophytic fungi living in this plant were isolated, macro- and micrologically identified, and assessed for their antibacterial properties on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. As a result, seven types of endophytic fungi with potential antibacterial activities were obtained from Vietnamese Cyperus rotundus L. These endophytic strains could inhibit Gram-positive bacteria, including Bacillus subtilis, Methicilin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), and Methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In particular, the most potent fungus could effectively inhibit not only MRSA but also Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Furthermore, a significant impact of the culture medium on the biomass’ antibacterial activity was observed and the Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and Czapek-Dox (Cz) media were shown to be the most appropriate culture medium. Altogether, endophytic fungi isolated from Cyperus rotundus L. were shown to be a promising source for antibiotics to tackle the problem of antibiotic resistance.

Keywords

• Cyperus rotundus L.
• Endophytic fungi
• Antibiotics
• Multidrug resistance