Isolation and Antibacterial Antagonistic Assay of Endophytic Fungi from Sambiloto (Andrographis paniculata) Leaves against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli

Abstract

This study aims to isolate endophytic fungi from sambiloto leaves (Andrographis paniculata) and evaluate their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The isolation was performed by direct planting on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium. Three endophytic fungal isolates were successfully obtained and morphologically identified as Lichtheima sp., Aspergillus niger, and Trichoderma sp. Antibacterial activity was assessed using the disc diffusion method. The results showed that all isolates were able to inhibit the growth of both test bacteria, with inhibition zone diameters ranging from 8.13 mm to 12.28 mm. Lichtheima sp. exhibited the highest activity against S. aureus, while Trichoderma sp. was most effective against E. coli. These findings suggest that endophytic fungi from sambiloto leaves have potential as natural antibacterial agents.