PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING POTENTIAL OF ENDOPHYTIC BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM THE ROOTS OF BERBERIS LYCIUM ROYLE.

Berberis lycium, a wild shrub, is a therapeutic plant that can tolerate harsh environmental conditions. Endophytic bacteria associated with it act as a repository for therapeutic compounds. It contributes significantly to the production of a diverse array of bioactive compounds. The aim of the current study was to isolate and identify endophytic bacteria from the roots of Berberis lyceum and screen them for both plant growth promoting traits and bioactive metabolites. Five bacterial strains belonging to the genus Bacillus were chosen and identified. These bacteria exhibited phosphate solubilization, ammonia production, IAA production and protease activity. Bacillus subtilis showed substantial root elongation in canola, potentially attributable to its favorable plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits. Variation was observed in the total flavonoid and phenolic contents among the bacterial extracts. Bacillus paramycoides showed significantly high phenolic content (183.1 mu g QA/mg), Bacillus subtilis showed significantly high flavonoid content (58.5 mu g GAE/mg), reducing power (RP) 196 mu g/mg of crude extract, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) 170.1 mu g/mg of crude extract, and DPPH activity demonstrated an IC50 value of 36.8 mu g/mL. GC-MS analysis of crude extract from Bacillus subtilis confirming the presence of fatty acids with chain lengths ranging from C-8 to C-24 suggests the diverse composition of lipids. Our findings revealed isolated strains and their extracts possess plant growth promoting traits and bioactive compounds that highlight them as a promising and abundant source of metabolites. The application of these metabolites could potentially reduce the reliance on agrochemicals in food and drug production.