In general, microbes produce a collection of secondary metabolites with therapeutic activities. Many are used as anticancer, immunosuppressive, hypocholesterolemic, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory agents, or as enzyme inhibitors. Indeed, endophytic fungi have become a treasure trove for bioactive compounds of medicinal and agricultural importance. Several endophytic fungi produce important therapeutic drugs, initially discovered in traditional medicinal plants; for example, paclitaxel, podophyllotoxin, Vinca alkaloids, camptothecin, and fusidic acid.
Secondary Metabolite | Representative Endophytic Fungi | References | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Paclitaxel (anticancer chemotherapy drug) | Aspergillus candidus, Chaetomella raphigera, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Cladosporium oxysporum, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Penicillium aurantiogriseum, Periconia sp., Pestalotiopsis microspora, Pestalotiopsis versicolor, Phoma betae, Phomopsis sp., Phomopsis sp., Phomopsis sp., Phyllosticta citricarpa, Phyllosticta melochiae | [168,169,170,198, | [5][6][7 | 199, | ] | 200,201, | [35] | 202, | [ | 203,204, | 36][37][38][39][40 | 205, | ] | 206,207] | [41][42][43][44] |
Camptothecin and analogs (anticancer chemotherapy drug) | Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Entrophospora infrequens, Trichoderma atroviride, Neurospora sp., Alternaria alstroemeriae, Alternaria burnsii, Alternaria sp., Alternaria alternata, Xylaria sp., Aspergillus sp., Aspergillus niger | [187,188,189,190,208,209,210,211,212,213,214,215] | [24][25][26][27][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52] | ||||||||||||
Vinblastine and vincristine (anticancer chemotherapy drug) | Alternaria alternata | sp, | Fusarium oxysporum | , | Talaromyces radicus | , | Curvularia verruculosa | , | Botryosphaeria laricina | [177,178,179,216,217] | [14][15][16][53][54] | ||||
Podophyllotoxin (anticancer chemotherapy) | Phialocephala fortinii (0.5 to 189 μg/L), Alternaria tenuissima, Mucor fragilis, Trametes hirsuta, Alternaria sp. Fusarium solani | [218,219,220,,223] | [ | 221, | 55][56][57][58] | 222 | [59][60] | ||||||||
Fusidic acid (antibiotic) | Acremonium pilosum | [195] | [32] |