Endophytic Microbial Diversity in the Halophytic Medicinal Plant Ferula and Their Bioapplicable Traits

Abstract

Ferula spp. are halophytic plants grown in arid region and are known for their traditional medicinal values. Large-scale excavation for extraction of medicinal compounds and other man-made destructions have severely reduced the number of wild Ferula and even extinction of few plant species. Alternate way to explore the bioapplicability of such plants is to isolate the microbial communities from these plant tissues and screen for their beneficial effects. Analysis of microbial diversity in two Ferula spp. indicated that members of phylum Actinobacteria are quite prominent besides members of the phyla Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Many constituent members of these phyla are known to produce chemically active biomolecules.