A critical review on exploiting the pharmaceutical potential of plant endophytic fungi.

It is known that plant-based ethnomedicine represented the foundation of modern pharmacology and that many pharmaceuticals are derived from compounds occurring in plant extracts. This track still stimulates a worldwide investigational activity aimed at identifying novel bioactive products of plant origin. However, the discovery that endophytic fungi are able to produce many plant-derived drugs has disclosed new horizons for their availability and production on a large scale by the pharmaceutical industry. In fact, following the path traced by the blockbuster drug taxol, an increasing number of valuable compounds originally characterized as secondary metabolites of plant species belonging to the Spermatophyta have been reported as fermentation products of endophytic fungal strains. Aspects concerning sources and bioactive properties of these compounds are reviewed in this paper.

Plant Bioactive Metabolites and Drugs Produced by Endophytic Fungi of Spermatophyta

Phytochemicals are structurally diverse secondary metabolites synthesized by plants and also by non-pathogenic endophytic microorganisms living within plants. Phytochemicals help plants to survive environmental stresses, protect plants from microbial infections and environmental pollutants, provide them with a defense from herbivorous organisms and attract natural predators of such organisms, as well as lure pollinators and other symbiotes of these plants. In addition, many phytochemicals can extend longevity in heterotrophic organisms across phyla via evolutionarily conserved mechanisms. In this review, we discuss such mechanisms. We outline how structurally diverse phytochemicals modulate a complex network of signaling pathways that orchestrate a distinct set of longevity-defining cellular processes. This review also reflects on how the release of phytochemicals by plants into a natural ecosystem may create selective forces that drive the evolution of longevity regulation mechanisms in heterotrophic organisms inhabiting this ecosystem. We outline the most important unanswered questions and directions for future research in this vibrant and rapidly evolving field.

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/20/4/6544/pdf

Longevity Extension by Phytochemicals

The family Apocynaceae is one of the largest and important families in angiosperm. Several members of this family have medicinal properties and have been in the treatment of various ailments. Most of them are consumed as food by tribal people whereas a few plants are used as source of poison. Members of family Apocynaceae are rich in alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, glycosides, simple phenols, lactones, and hydrocarbons. Other compounds such as sterols, lignans, sugars, lignans, and lactones have been isolated and systematically studied. Few studies have reported antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of crude extracts as well as single compound(s) isolated from various members of the family Apocynaceae. Holarrhena antidysenterica, Rauvolfia serpentina, Carissa carandas, and Tabernaemontana divaricata are the extensively studied plants in this family. The present review provides a detailed outlook on ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and biological activities of selected members of this family. Moreover, it also covers the biotechnological advances used for large-scale production of bioactive compounds of therapeutic interest along with plant tissue culture-based approaches for conservation of this medicinally valuable family.

Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and biotechnological advances of family Apocynaceae: A review.

Papaver somniferum L. mediated novel bioinspired lead oxide (PbO) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles: In-vitro biological applications, biocompatibility and their potential towards HepG2 cell line.

In the present study, an attempt to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of fungal endophytes inhabiting Emblica officinalis has been made keeping in view the medicinal importance of the selected host plant in Indian traditional practices. A total of four endophytic fungi belonging to Phylum Ascomycetes were isolated from different parts of the plant which were characterized morphologically and by using rDNA-internal transcribed spacer. The most frequently isolated endophyte was Phomopsis sp. The antioxidant activity by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing power assay, and total phenol were evaluated using ethanolic extract of endophytic fungi. DPPH activities in all the ethanolic extract increased with the increase in concentrations. Endophytes, Phomopsis sp. and Xylaria sp. showed highest antioxidant activity and also had the higher levels of phenolics. Antimicrobial activity of fungal extract were tested against four bacteria namely, Escherichia coli MTCC730, Enteroccocus faecalis MTCC2729, Salmonella enterica ser. paratyphi MTCC735 and Streptococcus pyogenes MTCC1925, and the fungus Candida albicans MTCC183. In general, the fungal extracts inhibited the growth of test organisms except E. coli.

/pdf/diversity-and-biological-activities-of-endophytic-fungi-of-1q218wgqar.pdf

Diversity and Biological Activities of Endophytic Fungi of Emblica officinalis, an Ethnomedicinal Plant of India

Rauwolfia serpentina Benth is an ethnomedicinal plant used as anti-hypertensive remedy by the ethnic tribes of northeast India. The plant was screened for the endophytic fungi and their associated biological activities to assess if these fungi have any significant hypocholesterolemic, anti-oxidant and antimicrobial activities. The endophytes were characterized as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus awamori, from a total 15 isolates, using biochemical and molecular approaches. The colonization rate of endophytes in the leaf and the stem was found to be 12.04 and 4.02 % respectively. C. gloeosporioides was found to be the dominant fungus with an average colonization frequency of 6.8 % followed by Penicillium sp. (3.8 %) and A. awamori (2.1 %). Being the most potential isolate, Penicillium sp. showed the promising hypocholesterolemic activity. The antimicrobial potential against four pathogenic bacteria, viz., Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella enterica ser paratyphi and three fungal pathogens, viz, Candida albicans, Emericella nidulans var nidulans, Fusarium oxysporum showed promising antagonistic ability. A. awamori showed the highest antioxidant potential and also had the maximum phenolic content among the characterized endophytes. This investigation revealed that the endophytic fungal extracts can be a potential source of alternative natural hypocholesterolemic, antimicrobials and antioxidant agents mimicking the activity of the host plant and purification of active metabolites may provide lead molecule of pharmaceutical importance.

Biological Activity of Endophytic Fungi of Rauwolfia serpentina Benth: An Ethnomedicinal Plant Used in Folk Medicines in Northeast India

Ultrastructural effect on mastitis pathogens by extract of endophytic fungi associated with ethnoveterinary plant, Hibiscus sabdariffa L.

The present study attempted to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of fungal endophytes associated with Centella asiatica and Murraya koengii , the ethnomedicinal plants used in traditional practices . Two endophytic fungi Aspergillus oryzae CeR1 and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides MKL1 were isolated from C. asiatica and M. koengii respectively which were characterized morphologically and by using rDNA- internal transcribed spacer. The total antioxidant power and free radical scavenging activity of the fungal extracts was estimated using the total phenolic content and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical assay along with the flavonoids and alkaloids content. The DPPH free radical assay showed that the ethanolic extract of endophytic fungi Aspergillus oryzae CeR1 had higher radical scavenging activity than Colletotrichum gloeosporioides MKL1. Antimicrobial activity of fungal extract tested against three bacterial strain namely, Staphylococcus aureus MTCC 96, Streptococcus pyogenes MTCC1925, Enteroccocus faecalis MTCC2729 and one fungal strain Candida albicans MTCC183 showed inhibition of growth of test organisms except Staphylococcus aureus MTCC96.

/pdf/bioactivity-assessment-of-endophytic-fungi-associated-with-49rzyc32rz.pdf

Bioactivity assessment of endophytic fungi associated with Centella asiatica and Murraya koengii

Candida albicans is a most common cause of fungal infections in animals and birds. Understanding the increasing resistance of C. albicans to various antifungal therapeutic agents is important to discover new anti-candidal alternatives. The present study investigated the anti-candidalpotential of five endophytic fungi extracts, isolated from the tropical ethnoveterinary plant, Calotropis gigantea. We firstly evaluated the in vitro antifungal activities of endophytic fungi extracts by the well diffusion method. Secondly, the cells of C. albicans were treated with the potent extract to observe significant ultrastructural changes. To further investigate the in vivo antifungal activity of the extract, some laboratory experiments with mice were undertaken, and posteriourly, the different organs were studied under the electron microscope for any deformities. Phomopsis asparagi showed the best anti-candidal activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 46.9 µg/mL. The fungal test pathogen (C. albicans) exhibited various cell deformities when treated with the extract of P. asparagi. Histopathological studies of the vital organs of mice treated with the potent fungal extract did not show any significant pathological conditions when viewed under scanning electron microscope. Thus, P. asparagi can be a potential candidate for anti-candidal agents against C. albicans. Future studies will focus on the isolation of the bioactive components of the extract.

/pdf/anti-candidal-effect-of-endophytic-fungi-isolated-from-1ncg9sex2a.pdf

Archana Nath

Papers

Diversity and Biological Activities of Endophytic Fungi of Emblica officinalis, an Ethnomedicinal Plant of India

Biological Activity of Endophytic Fungi of Rauwolfia serpentina Benth: An Ethnomedicinal Plant Used in Folk Medicines in Northeast India

Ultrastructural effect on mastitis pathogens by extract of endophytic fungi associated with ethnoveterinary plant, Hibiscus sabdariffa L.

Bioactivity assessment of endophytic fungi associated with Centella asiatica and Murraya koengii

Anti-candidal effect of endophytic fungi isolated from Calotropis gigantea