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Endophyte bioprospecting in South Asian medicinal plants: an attractive resource for biopharmaceuticals

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology volume 101, pages 1831–1844 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

From the last several years, there has been an increasing interest in plant-associated bacteria commonly referred to as endophytes that reside asymptomatically in the internal plant tissues. This interest peaked since the last two decades due to the recognition that endophytes within medicinal plants have the capability to mimic and produce the bioactive metabolites of the host plant. A number of medicinal plants have been used for centuries by the people of South Asia to cure various diseases and this has led to abundant usage experience. Relating to prior ethanopharmacological experiences, scientists have searched for medicinal plants that could be valued sources for endophytes yielding novel metabolites of pharmaceutical importance. This review is therefore an effort to encompass the most recent efforts in the exploration of medicinal plants of South Asia and their endophytes.

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  1. University Diagnostic Lab (UDL), Department of Microbiology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, 54000, Punjab, Pakistan

    Rabia Tanvir & Aamir Ghafoor Bajwa

  2. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, 54000, Punjab, Pakistan

    Aqeel Javeed

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  1. Rabia Tanvir
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Tanvir, R., Javeed, A. & Bajwa, A.G. Endophyte bioprospecting in South Asian medicinal plants: an attractive resource for biopharmaceuticals. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 101, 1831–1844 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-017-8115-x

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Keywords

  • Antibiotics
  • Endophytes
  • Ethanobotany
  • Medicinal plants
  • South Asian