Sesquiterpenes are a three-isoprene unit compounds which belong to terpenoid family of secondary metabolites. These
volatile compounds are one of the major constituents of essential oils in plants and plays major roles in plant signaling
of defense mechanism. The effects of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) concentrations (100 and 200 μM) on the production
of sesquiterpene compounds after incubation period for 1, 3, and 6 days were investigated in Persicaria minor cell
suspension culture. Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) method was used to absorb volatile compounds
from suspension cells and liquid medium. They were then analyzed through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
(GC-MS) to identify sesquiterpene compounds. Among the 15 sesquiterpene compounds identified, α- muurolene was found
in significantly higher concentration in all MeJA treated cultures. The results showed that α-muurolene was detected in
the suspension cells at the highest peak area of 14.17% at 100 μM MeJA treated cultures with 3-day incubation. Analysis
of liquid medium of the treatments identified secretion of α-muurolene into the culture medium, with total peak area of
0.72%. These results showed that sesquiterpene production in MeJA induced P. minor suspension culture depended on
the MeJA concentration and also culture incubation period.
Endophytic fungi are those living inside the host plant without causing any apparent negative effect on the host plant. Two
isolates endophytic fungi from leaves and two isolates from root at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Reserve Forest,
Negeri Sembilan were successfully isolated and identified by morphology and molecular characteristic. Samples were
surface sterilized and sub-cultured to obtain a pure culture. Characteristics of the isolates such as colony appearance,
mycelial texture, conidia/spores and pigmentation were studied to explore their morphology. Isolates were also subjected to
a PCR-based genotyping test. There were noticeable differences in morphological characteristics among the four isolates.
Microscopic analysis showed four isolates consist of septa and conidia/spores. The pigmentation result showed that
colony in A1leaf samples demonstrated an orange color on potato dextrose agar (PDA) media, colony in A1root demonstrate
a black texture in PDA media while hairy colonies in the others two isolates showed a white color on PDA media. Based on
molecular analyses the fungal genera showed 99-100% similarity with the related fungi recorded in the GenBank. Both
morphology and molecular sequencing of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of endophytic fungi showed that three
isolates (A1root, C2leaf, and C3root) were grouped in Basidiomycota while one isolate (A1leaf) belonged to Ascomycota. The
endophyte funguses were identified as Daldinia sp. (A1leaf), Polyporales sp. (A1root,) Lentinus sp. (C2leaf,) and Rigidoporus
sp. (C3root). Overall, the new discoveries of isolated endophyte fungal have dyeing potential of fungal pigments which
offer a viable alternative to natural vegetable and harmful synthetic dyes.