It is our consensus that plants survive and flourish in stressed ecosystems because of endosymbiotic organisms that have co-evolved and were essential for their adaptation to changing environments. Some of these microbial components are noncultivable and vertically transmitted from generation to generation. They represent a vast reservoir of heritable DNA that can enhance plant performance in changing environments and add genetic flexibility to adaptation of long-lived plants. If such endophytes can be identified that not only persist in progeny of novel hosts, but can confer benefits in mechanized, agricultural systems, they would be increasingly important in agricultural production and lead to a rapid and economical method of providing novel germplasms of native and crop plants. In the present review, authors advocate the deployment of fungal diversity and its role to overcome the biotic stress in plants. Endophytic fungal association with plants helps it to protect from various pathogen and pests and adapt to survive in harsh biotic and abiotic stress condition.

Therapeutic properties of fungal metabolites and silver nanoparticles have been well documented. While fungal metabolites have been used for centuries as medicinal drugs, potential of biogenic silver nanoparticles has recently received attention. We have evaluated the antimicrobial potential of Aspergillus terreus crude extract, silver nanoparticles and an amalgamation of both against four pathogenic bacterial strains. Antimicrobial activity of the following was evaluated – A. terreus extract, biogenic silver nanoparticles, and a mixture containing extract and nanoparticles. Four pathogenic bacteria - Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus were used as test organisms. Phenol, flavonoid, and alkaloid content of extract were determined to understand the chemical profile of the fungus. The extract contained significantly high amounts of phenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids. The extract and biogenic silver nanoparticle exhibited significant antibacterial activity at concentrations of 10 μg/ml and 1 μg/ml, respectively. When used in combination, the extract-nanoparticle mixture showed equally potent antibacterial activity at a much lower concentration of 2.5 μg/ml extract + 0.5 μg/ml nanoparticle. Given its high antibacterial potential, the fungal extract can be a promising source of novel drug lead compounds. The extract – silver nanoparticle mixture exhibited synergism in their antibacterial efficacy. This property can be further used to formulate new age drugs.

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