Endophytic and rhizospheric bacterial communities isolated from the medicinal plants Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia

Authors

  • Carolina Chiellini Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence; Agrobiology and Pedology Research Center, Agricultural Research Council, Florence
  • Isabel Maida Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence
  • Giovanni Emiliani Trees and Timber Institute National Research Council, Florence
  • Alessio Mengoni Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence
  • Stefano Mocali Agrobiology and Pedology Research Center, Agricultural Research Council, Florence
  • Arturo Fabiani Agrobiology and Pedology Research Center, Agricultural Research Council, Florence
  • Sauro Biffi Botanical Garden, Casola Valsenio
  • Valentina Maggini Center for Integrative Medicine, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence
  • Luigi Gori Center for Integrative Medicine, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence
  • Alfredo Vannacci Center for Integrative Medicine, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence
  • Eugenia Gallo Center for Integrative Medicine, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence
  • Fabio Firenzuoli Center for Integrative Medicine, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence
  • Renato Fani Laboratory of Microbial and Molecular Evolution. Department of Biology University of Florence

Keywords:

Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, rhizosphere, medicinal plants, endophytes

Abstract

In this work we analyzed the composition and structure of cultivable bacterial communities isolated from the stem/leaf and root compartments of two medicinal plants, Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench and Echinacea angustifolia (DC.) Hell, grown in the same soil, as well as the bacterial community from their rhizospheric soils. Molecular PCR-based techniques were applied to cultivable bacteria isolated from the three compartments of the two plants. The results showed that the two plants and their respective compartments were characterized by different communities, indicating a low degree of strain sharing and a strong selective pressure within plant tissues. Pseudomonas was the most highly represented genus, together with Actinobacteria and Bacillus spp. The presence of distinct bacterial communities in different plant species and among compartments of the same plant species could account for the differences in the medicinal properties of the two plants. [Int Microbiol 2014; 17(3):165-174]

Keywords: Echinacea purpurea · Echinacea angustifolia · rhizosphere · medicinal plants · endophytes

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