Endophytes producing podophyllotoxin from Podophyllum sp. and other plants: A review on isolation, extraction and bottlenecks

Abstract

Investigation on the secondary metabolites of endophytic organisms colonized within plant body is now giving emphasis on the medicinal properties of those products aiming to the finding of new drug molecules. Podophyllotoxin is a non-alkaloid lignan of plant origin found in some species of Podophyllum and several other genera such as Sinopodophyllum, Juniperus, Dysosma, Diphylleia, Linum, Lithospermum and so on. A few endophytic fungi which produce podophyllotoxin as secondary-metabolite are explored and reported in some available literatures. Isolation of specific endophytic fungal strains and their metabolite extraction can be done by using standard methods. Further research for the discovery of many other podophyllotoxin producing fungal endophytes and use of industrial fermentation technology may help in mass production. Survey of podophyllotoxin producing bacterial endophytic strains is also a prerequisite regarding commercial enrichment. It will certainly limit the overuse of the respective medicinal plant resources. Therefore, proper care must be taken and necessary policy may be formed by the appropriate authority to conserve these commercially valuable botanicals associated with endophytes. Informative knowledge about the wider distribution of endophytic microbes depending on the internal and external condition of the plant tissue may help to comprehend the role of those organisms in the production of bioactive metabolites.