<i>In Vitro</i> Anti-HIV Activity of Partially Purified Coumarin(s) Isolated from Fungal Endophyte, <i>Alternaria</i> Species of <i>Calophyllum inophyllum</i>

Abstract

5 totally different endophytic fungal species were isolated from bark and leaf parts of Calophyllum inophyllum . Leaf part yielded Trichoderma harzianum and Alternaria species, whereas bark showed the presence of Fusarium species, Aspergillus species and unidentified fungi. Two solvents (hexane and methanol) were used for endophytic fungal extraction and the Alternaria species had shown the presence of coumarin whereas Trichoderma harzianum in methanol extract and Fusarium species in hexane extract had shown the coumarin(s) in all the four methods tested. The total coumarin yield was more in microwave assistance method, the methanol Alternaria species (3.941 ± 0.082) stood first, followed by hexane extract of Alternaria species (3.254 ± 0.082), Fusarium species (2.532 ± 0.082) and Trichoderma harzianum (2.294 ± 0.082), the plant extract showed 4.149 + 0.053. The methanol extract of Alternaria species inhibited the activity of HIV-Reverse Transcriptase (RT) (82.81 ± 1.0), integrase (98%) and protease (78) in maximum level followed by hexane extract of Alternaria species (71.12 ± 0.9, 89, 68), Fusarium species (63.92 ± 1.8, 67, 66) and Trichoderma harzianum (56.69 ± 0.9, 71, 63). The endophytic fungi Alternaria species inhibited all the three viral enzymes at maximum level and it was more than standard drug. However, in order to know possible anti-HIV, it is necessary to isolate active coumarin from the Alternaria species and the mechanism of action will be studied in future studies.