Antifungal Secondary Metabolites Produced by the Fungal Endophytes: Chemical Diversity and Potential Use in the Development of Biopesticides

Plant diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi can lead to huge losses in the agricultural fields and therefore remain a continuous threat to the global food security. Chemical-based fungicides contributed significantly in securing crop production. However, indiscriminate application of fungicides h...

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Main Authors: Kuo Xu, Xiu-Qi Li, Dong-Lin Zhao, Peng Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Microbiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.689527/full
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spelling doaj-ea46e67745fc40e99160590677c59f892021-06-21T05:49:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2021-06-011210.3389/fmicb.2021.689527689527Antifungal Secondary Metabolites Produced by the Fungal Endophytes: Chemical Diversity and Potential Use in the Development of BiopesticidesKuo XuXiu-Qi LiDong-Lin ZhaoPeng ZhangPlant diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi can lead to huge losses in the agricultural fields and therefore remain a continuous threat to the global food security. Chemical-based fungicides contributed significantly in securing crop production. However, indiscriminate application of fungicides has led to increased chemical resistance and potential risks to human health and environment. Thus, there is an urgent need for searching for new bioactive natural products and developing them into new biopesticides. Fungal endophytes, microorganisms that reside in the fresh tissues of living plants, are regarded as untapped sources of novel natural products for exploitation in agriculture and/or medicine. Chemical examination of endophytic fungi has yielded enormous antifungal natural products with potential use in the development of biopesticides. This review summarizes a total of 132 antifungal metabolites isolated from fungal endophytes in the past two decades. The emphasis is on the unique chemical diversity of these metabolic products, together with their relevant antifungal properties. Moreover, some “star molecules,” such as griseofulvin and trichothecene, as well as their synthetic derivatives that possess high potential as candidates of new natural fungicides, are also presented herein.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.689527/fullfungal endophytessecondary metaboliteschemical diversityphytopathogenic fungiantifungal activitiesbiopesticides
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Kuo Xu
Xiu-Qi Li
Dong-Lin Zhao
Peng Zhang
spellingShingle Kuo Xu
Xiu-Qi Li
Dong-Lin Zhao
Peng Zhang
Antifungal Secondary Metabolites Produced by the Fungal Endophytes: Chemical Diversity and Potential Use in the Development of Biopesticides
Frontiers in Microbiology
fungal endophytes
secondary metabolites
chemical diversity
phytopathogenic fungi
antifungal activities
biopesticides
author_facet Kuo Xu
Xiu-Qi Li
Dong-Lin Zhao
Peng Zhang
author_sort Kuo Xu
title Antifungal Secondary Metabolites Produced by the Fungal Endophytes: Chemical Diversity and Potential Use in the Development of Biopesticides
title_short Antifungal Secondary Metabolites Produced by the Fungal Endophytes: Chemical Diversity and Potential Use in the Development of Biopesticides
title_full Antifungal Secondary Metabolites Produced by the Fungal Endophytes: Chemical Diversity and Potential Use in the Development of Biopesticides
title_fullStr Antifungal Secondary Metabolites Produced by the Fungal Endophytes: Chemical Diversity and Potential Use in the Development of Biopesticides
title_full_unstemmed Antifungal Secondary Metabolites Produced by the Fungal Endophytes: Chemical Diversity and Potential Use in the Development of Biopesticides
title_sort antifungal secondary metabolites produced by the fungal endophytes: chemical diversity and potential use in the development of biopesticides
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
series Frontiers in Microbiology
issn 1664-302X
publishDate 2021-06-01
description Plant diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi can lead to huge losses in the agricultural fields and therefore remain a continuous threat to the global food security. Chemical-based fungicides contributed significantly in securing crop production. However, indiscriminate application of fungicides has led to increased chemical resistance and potential risks to human health and environment. Thus, there is an urgent need for searching for new bioactive natural products and developing them into new biopesticides. Fungal endophytes, microorganisms that reside in the fresh tissues of living plants, are regarded as untapped sources of novel natural products for exploitation in agriculture and/or medicine. Chemical examination of endophytic fungi has yielded enormous antifungal natural products with potential use in the development of biopesticides. This review summarizes a total of 132 antifungal metabolites isolated from fungal endophytes in the past two decades. The emphasis is on the unique chemical diversity of these metabolic products, together with their relevant antifungal properties. Moreover, some “star molecules,” such as griseofulvin and trichothecene, as well as their synthetic derivatives that possess high potential as candidates of new natural fungicides, are also presented herein.
topic fungal endophytes
secondary metabolites
chemical diversity
phytopathogenic fungi
antifungal activities
biopesticides
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.689527/full
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AT xiuqili antifungalsecondarymetabolitesproducedbythefungalendophyteschemicaldiversityandpotentialuseinthedevelopmentofbiopesticides
AT donglinzhao antifungalsecondarymetabolitesproducedbythefungalendophyteschemicaldiversityandpotentialuseinthedevelopmentofbiopesticides
AT pengzhang antifungalsecondarymetabolitesproducedbythefungalendophyteschemicaldiversityandpotentialuseinthedevelopmentofbiopesticides
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