Fungal Flora of Some Medicinal Plants

Medicinal plants traditionally occupied an important role in rural lives of India and are considered as one of the most important source of medicine since the dawn of human civilization. The healing properties of medicinal plants are usually linked with the presence of secondary metabolites and this differs from one plant to another. Medicinal plants are associated with a broad variety of microbial contaminants mainly Bacteria and Fungi. In view of importance of these fungi (as potential bio control agents, source of bioactive compounds and in plant protection) it was considered worthwhile to study fungal associates of some of ethno medicinal plants. Sample of some medicinally important plants were collected and isolation of fungi have been carried out in the laboratory. The identification of fungi has been done on the basis of their morphological characters.