Abstract
Abstract: This is a systematic review of scientific articles reporting the biodiversity of endophytic fungi isolated from endemic Cerrado plants in Brazil and exposes the potential applications of these microorganisms in the production of known and new metabolites. The “Portal de Periódicos” (CAPES), Science Direct, PubMed, Scielo, and Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) databases were used. A total of 418 articles were found using the following sets of keywords: Endophytic, fungi, and Cerrado; endophytic, fungi, rupestrian, and grass lands; endophytic, fungi, Brazilian, and savanna; among these, 14 articles were selected. The articles were grouped into studies on the biodiversity of Cerrado endophytic fungi, chemical studies, and other subjects. All the articles were found to be related to the diversity present in the Cerrado of the southeastern and midwestern regions, they show high fungal biodiversity with Diaporthe genus predominant in almost all plants studied. In all the studies on the chemical diversity of endophytic fungi, new compounds or new natural products were found associated with a range of bioactivity, especially antifungal. It shows the great potential of endophytes in the production of new and bioactive secondary metabolites, as well as the unexplored chemical diversity of endophytes isolated from endemic plant species. The review shows that rare studies performed in regions where the Cerrado biome are predominant, including the central, north, and northeast regions, representing an important niche that is still unexplored.
Highlights
Endophytic fungi are a highly diverse group of microorganisms that asymptomatically inhabit the interior of healthy plant tissues (Arnold 2007, Huang et al 2001)
The data obtained from the selected articles and their subsequent analysis resulted in two tables: Table 1 contains information regarding the authors, year of publication, study site, host plant, and isolated endophytic fungi
According to Esposito & Azevedo (2010) majority of this biodiversity is found in tropical regions, such as the Cerrado, which have immense chemical and biological diversity associated with their microorganisms and endemic plant species
Summary
Endophytic fungi are a highly diverse group of microorganisms that asymptomatically inhabit the interior of healthy plant tissues (Arnold 2007, Huang et al 2001). Considering some endophytes have specific hosts, the wide diversity of biomes and endemic plants found in Brazil represent a potential source of unknown endophytic species (Savi et al 2019). The Cerrado, known as the Brazilian savanna, is the second largest biome in Brazil and is located mainly in the central part of the country (Figure 1). In this biome, there is a rich chemical and biological diversity associated with plant species and microorganisms that can withstand extreme environments, such as high temperature and poor water availability over a long period of the year (Rodrigues et al 2016). The Cerrado has ~7,000 plant species and it is estimated that ~4,400 of these are endemic, potentially edible, medicinal, wood suppliers, and other industrial raw materials (ICMBio 2018, Silva et al 2015)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
