Antimicrobial evaluation of endophytic fungi extracts isolated from Casearia sylvestris

Due to widespread bacterial resistance to commercial antibiotics, the search for capable substances to combating these microorganisms became a priority. In this context, the endophytic fungi gained prominence as potential producers of bioactive substances with pharmacological interest. It is considering that endophytes are still poorly studied, especially in tropical species. The antibacterial and antifungal potential of endophytic fungi associated with the medicinal plant Casearia sylvestris were isolated and evaluated. A total of 162 strains were obtained, among these strains, 34 were selected for antimicrobial assays, after molecular sorting with oligonucleotide (GTG)5. A total of 25 isolates showed some antifungal and / or antibacterial activity against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and yeasts Candida albicans and Candida tropicallis. The results show the endophytic fungi present in C. sylvestris have a high potential to produce bioactive compounds inhibiting pathogenic microorganisms.   Key words: Endophytic fungi, Casearia sylvestris, antimicrobial, secondary metabolites.