Screening and Characterization of Endophytic Molds in Increasing the Content of Isoeugenol Compounds in Citronella Plants (Cymbopogon Winterianus) Dwi Ningsih Susilowati 1), Nani Radiastuti2), Firda Indraswati,2)
1Indonesian Center for Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetic Resouces Research and Development, West Java, Indonesia.
2Department of Biology Faculty of Science and Technology, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. Jl. Ir. H. Djuanda no 90, Ciputat, Banten. Indonesia.
Abstract
Citronella plants can produce essential oils that contain active compounds such as citronellal, citronellol, geraniol, and isoeugenol. The isoeugenol production has a higher selling price than the main active compound. This research aims to obtain endophytic fungi isolates from citronella plants, which can potentially increase the content of isoeugenol compounds through endophytic fungi inoculation treatment. Analysis of isoeugenol compound content of citronella plant using GC-MS isolates with content above control was followed by molecular investigation including BLAST, phylogenetic, and characterization of endophytic fungi. The results of molecular identification using ITS1 and ITS4 primers on 5 endophytic fungi increased the content of isoeugenol compounds in control plants. Endophytic fungi and their increasing percentage were Clonostachys Rosea, Curvularia lunata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Gaeumannomyces graminis, and Aspergillus flavus at 8.25%, 7.28%, 7.52%, 20.87%, and 0.24%, respectively. The highest increase in isoeugenol compounds was found in the endophytic G. graminis by 20.87%. Endophytic fungi increased the production of isoeugenol compounds in citronella plants.
