Abstract
Endophytic microbes are microorganisms that colonize the intracellular spaces within the plant tissues without exerting any adverse or pathological effects. Currently, the world population is facing devastating chronic diseases that affect humans. The resistance of pathogens to commercial antibiotics is increasing, thus limiting the therapeutic potential and effectiveness of antibiotics. Consequently, the need to search for novel, affordable and nontoxic natural bioactive compounds from endophytic fungi in developing new drugs with multifunction mechanisms to meet human needs is essential. Fungal endophytes produce invaluable bioactive metabolic compounds beneficial to humans with antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antitumor properties, etc. Some of these bioactive compounds include pestacin, taxol, camptothecin, ergoflavin, podophyllotoxin, benzopyran, isopestacin, phloroglucinol, tetrahydroxy-1-methylxanthone, salidroside, borneol, dibenzofurane, methyl peniphenone, lipopeptide, peniphenone etc. Despite the aforementioned importance of endophytic fungal metabolites, less information is available on their exploration and pharmacological importance. Therefore, in this review, we shall elucidate the fungal bioactive metabolites from medicinal plants and their pharmacological potential.
Highlights
Endophytic microbes are microorganisms that colonize the intracellular spaces within the plant tissues without exerting any adverse or pathological effects
Ozaenae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. Metabolic compounds such as 2,6-dihydroxy-2-methyl-7-(prop-1E-enyl)-1-benzofuran3(2H)-one, munumbicin A, B, C, and D, altersolanol A, 3-O-methylalaternin, phomoenamide, ambuic acid, fumigaclavine C, asperfumoid, fumitremorgin C, physcion, helvolic acid, isopestacin, ergosterol peroxide, phomodione, and pestalotheol C produced by endophytic fungi Aspergillus fumigatus CY018, Pestalotiopsis theae by various plants exhibiting potent inhibition against some fungal and viral pathogens such as Candida albicans are known [60]
The 3-Nitropropionic acid and Tenuazonic acid produced by the fungal endophytes Alternaria alternate and Phomopsis spp., isolated from medicinal plants in Thailand, have reported as exhibiting potent activity against M. tuberculosis H37Ra by distorting isocitrate lyase enzyme pathways needed for M. tuberculosis metabolism and virulence [51,70]
Summary
Medicinal plants harbor diverse populations of microbial domains. Their interdependence in the synthesis of bioactive compounds as a therapy to confront the emergence of new drug-resistant pathogens has increased the quest for an alternative to chemosynthetic drugs for treating human diseases [1,2,3]. Despite the tiny nature of fungi, for example, Penicillium notatum has been used as an invaluable source of novel metabolite compounds and broad-spectrum antibiotics, as credited to Alexander Fleming in the discovery of penicillin [4]. Since this antibiotic has continued to dominate the market and has awakened the consciousness of scientists in the search for bioactive metabolites from fungi inhabiting the soil (rhizosphere) or plant endosphere [5,6]. The discovery of new metabolic compounds from medicinal plants and associated fungi has been documented in several research findings [16,17,18]. In this review, the various bioactive compounds from endophytic fungi associated with medicinal plants and their pharmacological importance shall be discussed
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