Abstract
Lippia sidoides Cham. (Verbenaceae) is a species native to the Brazilian northeast, widely used in popular medicine. Its leaves were used for the isolation of endophytic fungi and extraction of metabolites. Among them, three were selected according to fungitoxicity tests against the maize phytopathogenic fungus, Curvularia lunata (Wakker). However, the objective of this study was to identify the role of L. sidoides extracts associated with their endophytic fungi, necessary to reduce excess of fungicides applied on the maize crop. Metabolites were evaluated for antioxidant activity by 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), phenols, total flavonoids and one of it endophytic fungus were evaluated for synergism (Verticilium sp. and plant extracts). The endophytic fungi and plant extracts evaluated for phenolic content ranged from 0.29 ± 0.05 to 96.94 ± 11.86 mgEAG/g, the content of flavonoids from 14.31 ± 1.56 to 192.33 ± 4.58 mgER/g, and antioxidant activity could only be observed for the plant extract with EC50 81 ± 0.3%. The secondary metabolites identified by HPLC in the plant extract were catechin, quercetin, gallic acid and naringin. Naringenin, catechin, epigallocatechin gallate and quercetin were identified in the extract of the fungi viz. Verticillium sp. and Fusarium sp. Synergistic analysis between a 1:1 proportion of plant and fungal extracts has shown more efficient (79.0%) inhibition of C. lunata. Thus, alternative control of phytopathogenic fungi can be accomplished using plant extracts associated with their endophytic fungi, reducing the excess of fungicides applied on the maize crop. Key words: Curvularia lunata, endophytic fungal, HPLC, extract, Verticillium sp., Fusarium sp., Colletrotrichum sp. 
Highlights
Endophytic fungi isolated from plants belonging to tropical regions produce more active secondary metabolites than those from temperate regions, because they are exposed to an environment of greater biodiversity (Bhardwaj et al, 2015)
Biological tests were carried out using extracts made from both hexane and ethyl acetate against the phytopathogenic fungus of maize plants, C. lunata
Three extracts of different endophytes extracted with ethyl acetate were selected for the analysis of secondary metabolite synthesis
Summary
Endophytic fungi isolated from plants belonging to tropical regions produce more active secondary metabolites than those from temperate regions, because they are exposed to an environment of greater biodiversity (Bhardwaj et al, 2015). Endophytes are good sources of genetic diversity and new species belonging to a large group of fungi that colonize tissues of healthy plants without causing apparent symptoms (Fatima et al, 2016). They protect plants against herbivores, insect attack, or invading pathogens by entering this mutually beneficial relationship, according to host habitat conditions (Bhardwaj et al, 2015)
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