Isolation and characterization of secondary metabolites from the endophytic fungi of the leaf of (original) (raw)

Endophytic fungi: a source of novel biologically active secondary metabolites

Mycological Research, 2002

In the continual search by both pharmaceutical and agricultural industries for new products, natural selection has been found to be superior to combinatorial chemistry for discovering novel substances that have the potential to be developed into new industrial products. Since natural products are adapted to a specific function in nature, the search for novel secondary metabolites should concentrate on organisms that inhabit novel biotopes. Endophytic fungi inhabit such a biotope. In the course of the last 12 years, we have isolated " 6500 endophytic fungi from herbaceous plants and trees, screened them for biological activities, and have isolated and determined the structures of the biologically active compounds. Correlations were found between biological activity and biotope, e.g. a higher proportion of the fungal endophytes, in contrast to the soil isolates, inhibited at least one of the test organisms for antialgal and herbicidal activities. The substances isolated originated from different biosynthetic pathways : isoprenoid, polyketide, amino acid derivatives, and belonged to diverse structural groups : terpenoids, steroids, xanthones, chinones, phenols, isocumarines, benzopyranones, tetralones, cytochalasines, and enniatines. The potential role of the endophyte and its biologically active metabolites in its association with its host has been investigated. The fungal endophytes possess the exoenzymes necessary to colonize their hosts and they grow well in the apoplastic washing fluid of the host. When the roots of larch are colonized, the association with the host may be mutualistic, improving growth of the host and supplying the mycobiont with enough nourishment to extensively colonize the host's roots. The concentrations of some plant defence metabolites are lower than in the control when the host is infected with a pathogen than with an endophyte. We hypothesize that the interaction fungal endophyte-plant host is characterized by a finely tuned equilibrium between fungal virulence and plant defence. If this balance is disturbed by either a decrease in plant defence or an increase in fungal virulence, disease develops. Not only must the endophyte synthesize metabolites to compete first with epiphytes and then with pathogens in order to colonize the host, but presumably also to regulate metabolism of the host in their delicately balanced association. The utilization of a biotope such as that of the fungal endophyte is one aspect of intelligent screening, another very important one is the taxonomy of the fungus in order to avoid redundant structural isolations. It is not a random walk through a random forest. Many groups of fungi in different biotopes are waiting to be exploited.

Plant associated fungal endophytes as a source of natural bioactive compounds

Mycology

Endophytes are a potent source of bioactive compounds that mimic plant-based metabolites. The relationship of host plant and endophyte is significantly associated with alteration in fungal colonisation and the extraction of endophyte-derived bioactive compounds. Screening of fungal endophytes and their relationship with host plants is essential for the isolation of bioactive compounds. Numerous bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and immunomodulatory properties are known to be derived from fungal endophytes. Bioinformatics tools along with the latest techniques such as metabolomics, next-generation sequencing, and metagenomics multilocus sequence typing can potentially fill the gaps in fungal endophyte research. The current review article focuses on bioactive compounds derived from plantassociated fungal endophytes and their pharmacological importance. We conclude with the challenges and opportunities in the research area of fungal endophytes.

Role of fungal endophytes in plant protection

Management of fungal plant pathogens, 2010

Endophytes are the microorganisms that reside inside healthy plant tissues without causing any detectable disease symptoms to the host. Often, each and every plant harbours either one or a battery of endophytic microorganisms. The study of endophytes is now on a voyage of interest, not only because of their role in fi lling the divide between discovered and undiscovered microbial diversity, but also due to their harbouring a great potential to produce novel natural products. Other than soil, higher plants also act as an alternative resource to isolate potential microorganisms. Natural compounds ranging from crop protection to human welfare have been isolated from this alternative source of endophytes. Several anticancer, antibiotic, antimycotic, antiviral, antioxidant, nematicide, insecticide and immunosuppressive compounds have been reported from endophytes, such as cytochalasines, ambuic acid, oocydin, jesterone, cryptocandin, lolitrem B, and 3-hydroxypropionic acid and taxol, etc. Many of them produce some toxic alkaloids and protect their hosts from herbivores. They also improve the growth and yield of crops under various stressed conditions. Endophytic fungi have been emerging as a new tool in genetic engineering, the pharmaceutical industry and in crop protection as well. In this chapter, the ability and role of endophytic fungi to ward off pests and environmental stresses on plants is discussed. Sr. No.

Fungal Endophytes as prolific source of Phytochemicals and other Bioactive Natural Products: a Review

Microbial pathogenesis, 2015

Endophytic fungi are those that live internally in apparently healthy and asymptomatic hosts. Endophytic fungi appear to be ubiquitous; indeed, no study has yet shown the existence of a plant species without endophytes. High species diversity is another characteristic of endophytic mycobiota which is depicted by the fact that it is quite common for endophyte surveys to find assemblages consisting of more than 30 fungal species per host plant species. Medicinal plants had been used to isolate and characterize directly the bioactive metabolites. However, the discovery of fungal endophytes inside these plants with capacity to produce the same compounds shifted the focus of new drug sources from plants to fungi. Bioactive natural products from endophytic fungi, isolated from different plant species, are attracting considerable attention from natural product chemists and biologists alike which is clearly depicted by the steady increase of publications devoted to this topic during the rec...

Endophytic fungi: hidden treasure chest of antimicrobial metabolites interrelationship of endophytes and metabolites

Frontiers in Microbiology

Endophytic fungi comprise host-associated fungal communities which thrive within the tissues of host plants and produce a diverse range of secondary metabolites with various bioactive attributes. The metabolites such as phenols, polyketides, saponins, alkaloids help to mitigate biotic and abiotic stresses, fight against pathogen attacks and enhance the plant immune system. We present an overview of the association of endophytic fungal communities with a plant host and discuss molecular mechanisms induced during their symbiotic interaction. The overview focuses on the secondary metabolites (especially those of terpenoid nature) secreted by endophytic fungi and their respective function. The recent advancement in multi-omics approaches paved the way for identification of these metabolites and their characterization via comparative analysis of extensive omics datasets. This study also elaborates on the role of diverse endophytic fungi associated with key agricultural crops and hence im...

Endophytic Fungi: A Potential Source of Bioactive Compounds

Plant based ethno-medicine represents the foundation of modern pharmacology and many pharmaceuticals are derived from compounds extracted from plant. This track still stimulates a worldwide investigational activity aimed at identifying novel bioactive products of plant origin. The discovery of endophytic fungi able to produce many plant-derived drugs has disclosed new horizons for their availability and production on a large scale by the pharmaceutical industry. In the natural products research, a valuable approach is the prospection of uncommon sources and unexplored habitat and endophytic fungi is specially focused because of their ability to produce new and interesting secondary metabolites, which have several biological applications. The endophytes establish exclusive symbiotic relationships with plants and the metabolic interactions may support the synthesis of some similar valuables compounds. Endophytic fungi are diverse group of fungi which are symbiotically associated with plants. These are ubiquitous and occur within all known plant species. This review reveals the importance of endophytic fungi of medicinal plants as a source of bioactive and chemically novel compounds. The endophytic fungi also have plant growth promoting attributes by which these can influence their host plants by enhancing their growth and tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. These also serves as a chemical reservoir for antimicrobial, antifungal, anticancer, antioxidant, antiviral and antitubercular compounds for use in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries.

Fungal Endophytes and their Role in Plant Protection

Current Organic Chemistry, 2007

Endophytes (fungal and bacterial organisms) have attracted great interest over the past few years because their presence benefits the host plant (development and defence) and they are a source of secondary metabolites of potential interest and thus play an important role in the regulation of plant communities and their herbivores. There are an increasing number of reports on their identification and on the production of secondary metabolites. Their role in plant-pathogen and plant-insect interactions is receiving increasing attention because of their potential use in pest control, however, little is known about their physiology and the regulation processes of the plant-endophyte interaction. N o t F o r D i s t r i b u t i o n 708

Endophytic Fungi as Potential Sources of Bioactive Natural Products: Prospects and Challenges

Fungal endophytes are microorganisms that grow inside living plant tissues without causing disease symptoms. They may establish symbiotic or mutualistic relationship with their respective hosts. Endophytes have been found in every plants studied so far and are to be found in virtually every plant on earth. Therefore, they are important constituent of microbial diversity. Endophytes are rich sources of functional metabolites because of their ability to produce good number of new and interesting bioactive molecules, which are of pharmaceutical, industrial and agricultural importance. In the recent years, fungal endophytes have been studied and exploited for bioactivity. Some important bioactive substances discovered from fungal endophytes associated are taxol, campothecin, crytocandin, phomol and helvolic acid. One of the major problems facing the future of endophyte biology and natural product discovery is the rapid disappearance of plant diversity, which holds the greatest possible ...

Chemistry & Biology Perspective Chemical Ecology of Endophytic Fungi: Origins of Secondary Metabolites

Endophytes constitute a remarkably multifarious group of microorganisms ubiquitous in plants and maintain an imperceptible association with their hosts for at least a part of their life cycle. Their enormous biological diversity coupled with their capability to biosynthesize bioactive secondary metabolites has provided the impetus for a number of investigations on endophytes. Here, we highlight the possible current and future strategies of understanding the chemical communication of endophytic fungi with other endophytes (fungi and bacteria) and with their host plants, which might not only allow the discovery and sustainable production of desirable natural products but also other mostly overlooked bioactive secondary metabolites.

Shades of endophytic fungi: Exceptional plant inhabitants with de facto therapeutic promises

Asia Pacific Journal of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, 2021

From the tropics to the arctic, almost all living plants on the earth are resided by endophytic fungi. The microorganism can be found near intercellular or intracellular tissues and cause void adverse symptoms of infection. Endophytes and host plants are synergistically protecting each other. As the host provides nutrients, the endophytes serve the host by activating their defense mode against parasites and pests. A search for alternative drugs, mostly from natural sources, is in ascending trends due to the increase of lethal diseases. This review emphasizes the significance of several endophytic fungi as a foundation for novel bioactive sources which might be advantageous for human health. The communication between the endophytic fungi and their host has generated numerous unique bioactive metabolites from different biosynthetic pathways. These include ketones, polyketides, alkaloids, non-alkaloids, acids, coumarins, etc., which comprise numerous potent biological activities includ...