Phytochemical Changes in Ginseng (Withania somnifera) Hairy Roots with Endophytic Fungi

Withania somnifera is of high medicinal importance due to the presence of the anti-cancer substance withanolide. The southern regions of Iran are suitable for growing this plant. Growth, physiology, and production of phytochemicals in hairy roots are significantly influenced by biological elicitors such as endophytic fungi. The best strain for hairy root induction was the A4 strain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of three strains of endophytic fungi extracted from the roots of W. somnifera ( Aspergillus lentulus, Chaetomium sp, Ascochyta rabiei) on Growth, physiology, and production of phytochemicals in hairy roots of this plant. The treatments included 3 strains of endophytic fungi at 24, 48, and 72 hours and in two concentrations of 10 and 20 mg in one cc of culture medium. The experiment was conducted as a factorial in a completely randomized design with 3 replications. All 3 strains increased the growth index and increased the activity of enzymes and phytochemicals. Chaetomium sp strain showed higher fresh weight (4.05 times the increase compared to the control) and higher dry weight (1.59 times the increase compared to the control). The strain of A. lentulus greatly increased the activity of phytochemical enzymes, and the strain of A. rabiei increased the amount of protein (1.76 times) in hairy roots compared to the control.