New Thrombolytic Agent from Endophytic Fungi and Lignosus rhinocerus

ABSTRACT

Thrombosis and cardiovascular-related diseases can be caused by fibrin aggregation. Thrombolytic agents have been used to treat thrombolytic problems and cardiovascular-related diseases. There had been searches for new thrombolytic agents from bacteria, fungi, insects and fermented foods. To name a few, recently fungi such as Aspergillus oryzae KSK-3, Fusarium sp. CPCC 480097 and Fusarium sp. BLB were found able in producing protease fibrinolytic enzymes. Potential protease fibrinolytic enzymes were observed from Lignosus rhinocerus bought from Orang Asli of Sungei Perak. Out of the six (6) sclerotia used, one of them, LR-1, produced the biggest clear zone on Skim Milk Agar with a diameter of 1.31 cm. Fibrin plate assay of LR-1 showed that it produced a clear zone of 0.97 cm when the plate was incubated for 18 hours at 37°C Leaves of Hibiscus sp. were sterilised with 70% alcohol and 70% sodium hypochlorite. The leaves were then cut into pieces of 4 cm and placed on Potato Dextrose Agar plate. Fungi grown from the leave pieces were sub cultured onto new Potato Dextrose Agar. This then showed that Lignosus rhinocerus had protease and fibrinolytic activities. Sixteen (16) endophytic fungi were isolated from Hibiscus sp. leaves from six locations in Shah Alam, Selangor. Two endophytic fungi, FH-3 and S-13 showed protease activities; clear zones of 2.89 cm and 2.42 were seen.after 4 days incubation at 27°C. FH-3 had fibrinolytic activity which was observed by the 1.98 cm diameter clear zone on fibrin plate.

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