OPTIMIZATION OF BIOASH FROM SUGARCANE BAGASSE FOR THE REMOVAL OF CONGO RED DYE

ABSTRACT
Background: Endophytic fungi inhabit internal plant tissues without causing disease and contribute
significantly to plant growth, stress tolerance, and defense. Their diversity and colonization patterns
vary with host species, tissue type, and environmental factors. Croton sparsiflorus, a medicinal shrub
native to southern India, remains largely unexplored for its endophytic community. The present study
aimed to isolate and evaluate the diversity and colonization frequency of endophytic fungi associated
with the leaves, stems, and roots of C. sparsiflorus collected from three different locations in Tamil
Nadu—Villupuram, Kanchipuram, and Thiruvallur.
Methods: Healthy and asymptomatic plant samples were collected from each location. Surface
sterilization was performed using 70% ethanol and 2% sodium hypochlorite to remove epiphytes. Fifty
tissue segments each from leaf, stem, and root were plated on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) amended
with streptomycin and incubated at 28 ± 2 °C for three weeks. Emerging fungal colonies were purified
and identified based on morphological and microscopic features using standard keys. Colonization
frequency (CF%) were calculated
Results: A total of eight fungal taxa were isolated: Alternaria sp., Curvularia sp., Aspergillus niger,
Colletotrichum sp., Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus tamarii, white sterile forms, and Rhizophagous sp.
Among the locations, Kanchipuram exhibited the highest fungal diversity and colonization frequency,
followed by Thiruvallur and Villupuram. Curvularia sp. dominated the Villupuram samples (CF = 100%
in leaves), while Aspergillus niger showed the highest CF in Kanchipuram (100%) and Thiruvallur
(48%). Leaves harbored the maximum fungal colonization across all locations, followed by stems and
roots. The EIR ranged between 18% and 46% depending on tissue type and site. These findings indicate
that both tissue specificity and local environmental conditions influence endophytic distribution in C.
sparsiflorus.
Conclusion: The present study revealed a diverse assemblage of endophytic fungi associated with
Croton sparsiflorus, varying across different tissues and geographical locations. Kanchipuram samples
exhibited the highest colonization frequency and species richness, while Curvularia and Aspergillus
spp. were dominant across all sites. These results highlight the influence of both tissue type and locality
on endophytic fungal diversity, emphasizing their ecological and potential biotechnological
significance.