Penicillium citrinum Thom: A potential antihyperglycemic endophyte from Gymnema sylvestre

Abstract

Endophytic fungi producing bioactive compounds from medicinal plants have enormous applications as, antibiotics, anti-parasitic, agrochemical, antioxidants and anticancer agents. In the present research, aimed to investigate the qualitative and quantitative analysis of secondary metabolites of an endophyte isolated from Gymnema sylvestre and to evaluate its antidiabetic potential. The frequently occurring fungal isolate VSQ-11 was selected for in detailed research work. Based on the morphological and molecular characteristics, the isolate was identified as Penicillium citrinum Thom. Myco-chemical studies exhibit the maximum presence of flavonoids (4 mg/g) followed by phenols (1 mg/g), tannins (1.178 mg/g), saponins (1.175 mg/g), steroids (0.96 mg/g), glycosides (0.6 mg/g) and alkaloids (0.34 mg/g) in crud fungal extract. The Albino mice treated with fungal ethyl acetate extract (250 mg/kg body weight) has shown a reduction in blood glucose level as compared to the negative control group.