The role of bacterial endophytes in the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants: unveiling the mechanisms behind

Endophytes are endosymbiotic microbes including bacteria and fungus. Till date, endophytes of the medicinal plants are under explored. Moreover, these studies are majorly focussed on fungi. India, being a biodiversity hotspot, harbors a plethora of plants, which are routinely used for drug development, especially in Indian traditional medicine. This review has included plants depicted in the Indian traditional medicine and discussed their role in medicinal importance. This review has aimed to focus on the range of endophyte bacteria isolated from those medicinal plants along with their growth promotion abilities and role in drug development. It has been found that the endophytes either residing within the host plant or being bio-inoculated in another closely related plant can generate antimicrobial compounds against phytopathogens, activate host pathways to produce bioactive compounds or promote only plant growth. Collectively, this review discusses excellent prospects of endophytes in developing new and effective compounds of medicinal importance.