Analysis of Wheatgrass Endophytes

Abstract

Endophytes are of particular medical interest due to their production of antibiotics. Wheatgrass endophytes were analyzed using a combination of MIC, Gel electrophoresis, GCMS, and TLC. Cultures were successfully grown in gel agarose plates and in sabouraud dextrose broth. All colonies were observed using a dissection microscope. Colonies from the white samples seen on the seed (sabouraud dextrose agar), leaf (sabouraud dextrose agar), seed (coffee agar) and seed (agar) plates were gram stained, with gram negative rods were observed in all samples. Gram positive cocci we observed in the seed (agar) plate. Presence of a long chain methyl ester was observed from the GCMS analysis of samples extracted in methanol. An inhibitory effect was observed on the growth of E. coli and S. aureus after inoculating methanol extracted samples in broth.