Phytochemical Profile and Anticancer Potential of Endophytic Microorganisms from Liverwort Species, Marchantia polymorpha L.

Mateusz Stelmasiewicz,Łukasz Świątek,Agnieszka Ludwiczuk

doi:10.3390/molecules27010153

Mateusz Stelmasiewicz, Łukasz Świątek + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27010153

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Abstract

Liverwort endophytes could be a source of new biologically active substances, especially when these spore-forming plants are known to produce compounds that are not found in other living organisms. Despite the significant development of plant endophytes research, there are only a few studies describing liverwort endophytic microorganisms and their metabolites. In the presented study, the analysis of the volatile compounds obtained from thallose liverwort species, Marchantia polymorpha L., and its endophytes was carried out. For this purpose, non-polar extracts of plant material and symbiotic microorganisms were obtained. The extracts were analyzed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Compounds with the structure of diketopiperazine in the endophyte extract were identified. Liverwort volatile extract was a rich source of cuparane-, chamigrane-, acorane-, and thujopsane-type sesquiterpenoids. The cytotoxicity of ethyl acetate extracts from endophytic microorganisms was evaluated on a panel of cancer (FaDu, HeLa, and SCC-25) cell lines and normal (VERO), and revealed significant anticancer potential towards hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and cervical adenocarcinoma.

Highlights

Endophytes are microorganisms that spend all or part of their life colonizing cells and the intercellular spaces of plant tissues, without causing apparent harm to the plant
Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry of diethyl ether extract obtained from the thalli of Marchantia polymorpha allowed for identification of characteristic volatile components
The second group of sesquiterpenoids detected in this liverwort species were chamigrane-type compounds, represented by β-chamigrene and ent-9-oxo-α-chamigrene

Summary

Introduction

Endophytes are microorganisms (bacteria or fungi) that spend all or part of their life colonizing cells and the intercellular spaces of plant tissues, without causing apparent harm to the plant The effects of these organisms on the host may include combating pathogenic microorganisms, inducing immunity, promoting plant growth and development by binding free nitrogen, synthesizing phytostimulants, increasing the uptake of minerals, and increasing plant resistance to adverse abiotic factors [1,2,3]. A highly cytotoxic plant metabolite, and the first anticancer agent obtained from endophytic fungi, Taxomyces andreanae colonizing Taxus brevifoilia Another bacterial endophyte is Streptomyces NRRL 30562, isolated from Kennedia nigrican cells. Munumbicin is a compound that shows a strong antibacterial activity against gram-positive strains of Bacillus anthracis, resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and inhibits the development cycle of Plasmodium falciparum, a unicellular protozoan parasite responsible for malaria [6]

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