Plant associated fungal endophytes as a source of natural bioactive compounds

• Main Authors: Nilesh Rai, Priyanka Kumari Keshri, Ashish Verma, Swapnil C. Kamble, Pradeep Mishra, Suvakanta Barik, Santosh Kumar Singh, Vibhav Gautam
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2021-07-01
• Series: Mycology
• Subjects: fungal endophyte; bioactive compound; host endophytes relationship; biological activity
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21501203.2020.1870579

Endophytes are a potent source of bioactive compounds that mimic plant-based metabolites. The relationship of host plant and endophyte is significantly associated with alteration in fungal colonisation and the extraction of endophyte-derived bioactive compounds. Screening of fungal endophytes and their relationship with host plants is essential for the isolation of bioactive compounds. Numerous bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and immunomodulatory properties are known to be derived from fungal endophytes. Bioinformatics tools along with the latest techniques such as metabolomics, next-generation sequencing, and metagenomics multilocus sequence typing can potentially fill the gaps in fungal endophyte research. The current review article focuses on bioactive compounds derived from plant-associated fungal endophytes and their pharmacological importance. We conclude with the challenges and opportunities in the research area of fungal endophytes.