Soil Fungi-Medicinal Plants Interaction

Medicinal plants are a natural source of therapeutic compounds and
secondary metabolites; therefore, their demand is increasing day by day. Since the last
thirty decades, their cultivation as well as preservation with the help of biofertilizers or
pesticides is a point of great concern. The rhizosphere is an important area around the
roots. It is a habitat for many kinds of microorganisms like fungi. This soil microbial
performs a variety of beneficial functions for the growth of plants such as nitrogen
fixation, solubilization and removal of toxins. Endophytes are also an important class
of microbial flora that helps in the absorption of water and nutrients for the plant.
Additionally, they also make plants able to cope with environmental stresses. Fungal
endophytes supervise photosynthesis. Certain therapeutically important plants
including licorice and white ginger lily can also perform antimicrobial activity
depending upon the endophytic composition they have. These types of plants having
antimicrobial activity are of great significance as they act as eco-friendly biopesticides.