In-Vitro study on tolerance of heavy metals by some endophytic fungi

Ashok Y. Dawande, Vijay N. Charde, Yogesh S. Banginwar

Abstract: The present study reports on tolerance study of heavy metals by endophytic fungi. Endophytic fungi isolated from agriculture field used for the study were Phomopsis sp, Fusarium sp.1, Colletotrichum sp, Fusarium sp.2 and Phoma sp. To test the effect of different metal on varying concentration of heavy metal, the heavy metal of different concentration were added to the PDA media range varying from 50-600ppm. Fungal endophytes on PDA medium without heavy metal served as control. PDA plates with metal ions were inoculated with fresh culture of fungus and were allowed to incubate at 27 °C for 7 days. The different test isolates at the different concentrations of the test metals exhibited varying degree of effect on mycelia formation. The results indicated at 600 ppm metal concentration, the most heavy metals tolerant endophytic fungus was Colletotrichum sp (resistant to all metals under study) followed by Fusarium sp.1 and Phoma sp (resistant to Cu (II), Zn (II), Pb (II) and Cd (II)). Phomopsis sp and Fusarium sp.2 were tolerant to Cu (II), Zn (II) and Pb (II) and Zn (II), Pb (II) and Cr (VI) respectively. The ability of fungal endophytes to grow in the presence of heavy metals is always be an added advantage in the treatment of waste water where role of microorganisms is to degrade organic matter through biological process.