Potensi Fungi Endofit dari Kemenyan Toba (Styrax sumatrana) Asal Tapanuli Utara sebagai Pelarut Fosfat dan Perombak Selulosa

Abstract

Kemenyan toba (Styrax sumatrana) is a desirable resin producing tree in North Sumatra. Secondary metabolite chemicals produced by the resin are utilised extensively to provide medical and industrial purposes. Endophytic fungi are a potential source of secondary metabolite syntheses. Endophytic fungi may produce secondary metabolites similar to their hosts. The purpose of this study is to identify a variety of endophytic fungi and to evaluate the potential of the endophytic fungi of kemenyan toba (Styrax sumatrana) from North Tapanuli as a phosphate solubilizing and cellulose decomposer. Endophytic fungal isolates were obtained from the Soil Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Sumatera Utara. The study was conducted at the Soil Biology Laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Sumatera Utara. The research steps included making PDA media, sterilising equipment, rejuvenating endophytic fungal isolates, testing the potential of endophytic fungi as phosphate solubilizing using Pikovskaya media, and assessing the potential of endophytic fungi as cellulose decomposition using Carboxy Methyl media (CMC) for cellulose. The finding found three genera of endophytic fungi: Aspergillus from the leaves and Aspergillus, Cunninghamella, and Humicola from the bark of kemenyan toba. The endophytic fungi found had a high capacity to solubilize phosphate. This is characterized by the appearance of a clear zone around the colony with a phosphate solubilizing index ranging from 3.52 to 5.03. The endophytic fungi found can also decompose cellulose, with cellulolytic indexes ranging from 1.26 to 3.65 determined from each isolate. The cellulose decomposition potential of endophytic fungus from the kemenyan toba plant ranges from moderate to high.