ABSTRACT
Aims@#Endophytic fungi are organisms that colonize living plant tissues without causing significant symptoms of diseases. They are known as the repository of bioactive compounds. This study was aimed to isolate endophytic fungi associated with Aloe vera and to assess their antimicrobial activity against the diabetic wound pathogens that result to lower limb amputations. @*Methodology and results@#In this study, 84 endophytic fungi were isolated from A. vera by using 5% sodium hypochlorite and 70% ethanol as surface sterilants. On preliminary antimicrobial screening by agar plug assay, 12 (14.3%) isolates showed significant antagonistic activity on the test microorganisms. Two of the endophytes were identified as Aspergillus flavus and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides through morphological and molecular techniques. The fungal cultures fermented in shake flask were extracted subsequently with hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. Ethyl acetate and dichloromethane extracts of A. flavus and C. gloeosporioides inhibited all test bacteria. The compounds in the extracts were seemed to be semi-polar in nature. On broth microdilution assay, minimal inhibitory and minimal lethality concentration of ethyl acetate extracts of the fungi were found in the range of 0.63−2.50 and 1.25−5.00 mg/mL, respectively. @*Conclusion, significance and impact of study@#This study reveals that A. vera harbours a wide diversity of endophytic fungi. A. flavus and C. gloeosporioides showing broad spectrum antimicrobial activity on wound pathogens may be potential sources of bioactive compounds. Further investigations should be conducted to isolate and identify the antimicrobial compound produced by these fungal isolates.