Endophytic fungi as novel sources of biopesticides: the Macaronesian Laurel forest, a case study

Abstract

Endophytes fungi have been widely bioprospected to find new drugs and drug leads including antimicrobial agents and antifungals. However, an important role in host plant protection has been suggested for their presence and their metabolites. Therefore, nematicidal and insecticidal effects of their metabolites should be expected. In this review, the literature data available on insecicidal and nematicidal compounds identified from fungal endophytes are presented. Additionally we present a recent study on the endophytic biodiversity of a unique paleoflora, the Macaronesian laurel forest, in the light of their role in plant protection.