Journal of Environmental Biology

Biosurfactant and siderophore producing endophytic fungi from duckweed

P. Singh¹*, K.K. Yadav¹, A. Pramanic² and M. Dhanorkar¹     

¹Symbiosis Centre for Waste Resource Management, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune-412 115, India

²Symbiosis School of Biological Sciences, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune-412 115, India 

Received: 24 October 2025                   Revised: 19 February 2026                   Accepted: 28 February 2026

*Corresponding Author Email : pooja.roy@gmail.com                     *ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4956-8644

Abstract

Aim: Fungal endophytes are vital for climate resilience and adaptability of host plant. Although terrestrial plant associated endophytes are well studied, aquatic endophytic fungal diversity is still under explored. The aim of this paper was to isolate the fungal endophytes from floating aquatic plants and assess their ecological significance.

Methodology: Endophytic fungi from two different duckweed species, Lemna and Spirodela, were isolated and identified. Functional attributes, including production of ammonia, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and siderophores and phosphate solubilization were estimated.

Results: Two endophytic fungi, Aspergillus costaricensis and Collariella pachypodioides (Chaetomium pachypodioides), were isolated from Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. Aspergillus costaricensis, reported for the first time as an endophyte in the aquatic plant Lemna, was able to solubilize phosphate and produce ammonia and siderophore. Both the strains were biosurfactant producers, an attribute not previously documented for aquatic plant endophytes.

Interpretation: Both the fungal isolates appeared to play an active role in nutrient recycling in the host environment. Duckweed plants are vital for the functioning of wetland ecosystems. Unexplored fungal species may have unique biochemical pathways critical for degrading pollutants or enhancing nutrient availability in wetlands, attributes that will be useful for establishing nature based solutions and productive aquatic farming systems.

Key words: Aspergillus, Biosurfactant, Duckweed, Endophytes, Wetlands

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