Exploring the capacity of endophytic fungi isolated from medicinal plants for fermentation and phenolics biotransformation of rose oil distillation wastewater

AbstractA total of 139 endophytic fungal isolates derived from 20 medicinal and aromatic plants were tested for their capacity to ferment rose oil distillation wastewater (RODW). Internal transcribed spacer sequence-based phylogenetic analysis affiliated the collected isolates to seven genera and nine different species, of which Alternaria alternata was the most widely represented. The fungal fermentation of RODW was evaluated through analysis of the sugar and phenolics content and phenolics composition. After cultivation in a small volume of RODW, the performed cluster analysis grouped the isolates in four distinct clusters according to their capacity to ferment RODW sugars and phenolics. Further larger volume shake-flask cultivation of a selected subset of fungi with a pronounced RODW fermentation capacity, outlined three groups of isolates with a distinct pattern and dynamics of sugars and phenolics fermentation. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of RODW phenolics extracts following the f...