Isolation And Antibacterial Testing Of Endophytic Fungi On Turmeric Rhizomes (Curcuma longa sp) As A Potential Learning Resource For Fungi Concept Material For Class X SMA Isolasi dan Uji Antibakteri Fungi Endofit pada Rimpang Kunyit (<i>Curcuma longa</i> sp) sebagai Potensi Sumber Belajar Materi Konsep Fungi Kelas X SMA

Abstract

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous plant that harbors endophytic fungi capable of producing secondary metabolites with antibacterial potential. This study aimed to isolate, characterize, and evaluate the antibacterial activity of endophytic fungi from white, yellow, and black turmeric rhizomes collected from three regions in Pasuruan Regency. An exploratory descriptive method was applied using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Isolation was conducted through surface sterilization and cultivation on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), followed by macroscopic and microscopic identification. A total of 24 endophytic fungal isolates were obtained, representing 10 genera: Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Acremonium, Cladophialophora, Absidia, Trichoderma, Myrothecium, Cylindrocarpon, and Mortierella. Antibacterial testing by disk diffusion revealed that isolate KHu2-E (Acremonium) showed the strongest inhibition against Escherichia coli (21 mm), while KKu3-R (Myrothecium) exhibited the highest inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus (12 mm). Overall, E. coli was more sensitive to fungal metabolites than S. aureus. These findings confirm the potential of turmeric-associated endophytic fungi as natural antibacterial agents and highlight their relevance as contextual learning resources in Biology, particularly for teaching fungal concepts at the senior high school level.