A review of the interaction of medicinal plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere

Abstract

Medicinal plants are well known to have the advantages of high concentration of medicinal ingredients having clinical importance, curative value, small toxic and side effects. Important compounds viz., paclitaxel, camptothecin, and vincristine have been developed from medicinal plants as first-line of clinical drugs, leading to their consistently increasing demand globally. However, the destruction of natural environment due to excessive mining threatened such resources jeopardizing the successful growing of medicinal plants. A group of beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is known to exist in the rhizosphere of medicinal plants, which can establish a reciprocal symbiosis with their roots, namely arbuscular mycorrhizas. These AM fungi are pivotal in the habitat adaptation of medicinal plants. Studies have demonstrated that AM fungi aided in growth promotion and nutrient absorption of medicinal plants, thereby, accelerating the accumulation of medicinal ingredients and aiding resistance against abiotic stresses such as drought, low temperature, and salinity. An AM-like fungus Piriformospora indica is known to be cultured in vitro without roots, later showed analogous effects of AM fungi on medicinal plants. These fungi provide new mechanistic pathways towards the artificial cultivation of medicinal plants loaded with ingredients in huge demand in international market. This review provides an overview of the diversity of AM fungi inhabiting the rhizosphere of medicinal plants, and analyzes the functioning of AM fungi and P. indica, coupled with future lines of research.

Root Endophytic Fungi Regulate Changes in Sugar and Medicinal Compositions of Polygonum cuspidatum

“…Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are widely present in soil of terrestrial ecosystems and have received much attention due to their positive roles in host plants ( Asmelash et al, 2016 ). AM fungi accelerate plant growth, improve mineral nutrient absorption, and affect the accumulation of secondary products, especially in a variety of medicinal plants ( Zeng et al, 2013 ; Mandal et al, 2015a ; Welling et al, 2016 ; Liang et al, 2021 ; Sun et al, 2021 ). In a study by Mandal et al (2015a) , AM fungi increased leaf artemisinin accumulation in the medicinal plant Artemisia annua .…”

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Fertilization Influence Yield, Growth and Root Colonization of Different Tomato Genotype

“…The advantages gained by plants due to AMF interaction are not only an improved supply of nutrients, but also an increased resistance to soil pathogens and a high tolerance to stress against water, salt, and pollutants [25][26][27]. Other beneficial effects are early flowering and an increase in marketable fruits [28][29][30][31][32][33]. As a result, AMF is increasingly integrated into plant production systems, as it helps reduce the application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and is, therefore, an important component of sustainable food production [34].…”

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and phosphorus supply accelerate main medicinal component production of Polygonum cuspidatum

“…Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are beneficial fungi in soil that colonize the roots of approximately 72% of terrestrial plants, thus establishing a reciprocal symbiosis ( Genre et al, 2020 ). AM fungi affect primary metabolic processes of plants and also change secondary metabolites in various medicinal plants ( Zeng et al, 2014 ; Sun et al, 2021 ). In Glycyrrhiza uralensis plants, AM fungi distinctly raised concentrations of glycyrrhizic acid, and the increase became greater with the prolongation of inoculated time ( Liu et al, 2007 ).…”