Nectrianolins A, B, and C, new metabolites produced by endophytic fungus Nectria pseudotrichia 120-1NP

Guided isolation of secondary metabolites from Nectria sp. MHHJ-3 by molecular network strategy

The fungus Nectria sp. MHHJ-3 was isolated from Illigera rhodantha. A molecular networking-guided the secondary metabolites investigation of Nectria sp. MHHJ-3 led to the isolation of ten metabolites (1-10), including two new naphthalenone derivatives, nectrianaphthalenones A (1) and B (2), and two new steroids, nectriasteroids A (3) and B (4). Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis including the HRESIMS, 1D/2D NMR and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. A plausible biosynthetic pathway for 1-2 was proposed. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited moderate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities. Compounds 3 and 4 showed significant cytotoxic activity against selected tumor cells. Particularly, compound 3 exhibited the strongest activity against A549 cells with an IC50 value of 13.73 ± 0.03 μM, which was at the same grade with that of positive control cisplatin.

Natural epoxyquinoids: isolation, biological activity and synthesis. An update

Epoxyquinoids are of continuing interest due to their wide natural distribution and diverse biological activities, including, but not limited to, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, enzyme inhibitory, and others. The last review on their total synthesis was published in 2017. Since then, almost 100 articles have been published on their isolation from nature and their biological profile. In addition, the review specifically considers synthesis, including total and enantioselective, as well as the development of shorter approaches for the construction of epoxyquinoids with complex chemical architecture. Thus, this review focuses on progress in this area in order to stimulate further research.

Isolation, (bio)synthetic studies and evaluation of antimicrobial properties of drimenol-type sesquiterpenes of Termitomyces fungi

Macrotermitinae termites have farmed fungi in the genus Termitomyces as a food source for millions of years. However, the biochemical mechanisms orchestrating this mutualistic relationship are largely unknown. To deduce fungal signals and ecological patterns that relate to the stability of this symbiosis, we explored the volatile organic compound (VOC) repertoire of Termitomyces from Macrotermes natalensis colonies. Results show that mushrooms emit a VOC pattern that differs from mycelium grown in fungal gardens and laboratory cultures. The abundance of sesquiterpenoids from mushrooms allowed targeted isolation of five drimane sesquiterpenes from plate cultivations. The total synthesis of one of these, drimenol, and related drimanes assisted in structural and comparative analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and antimicrobial activity testing. Enzyme candidates putatively involved in terpene biosynthesis were heterologously expressed and while these were not involved in the biosynthesis of the complete drimane skeleton, they catalyzed the formation of two structurally related monocyclic sesquiterpenes named nectrianolins.

Bioactive terpenoids derived from plant endophytic fungi: An updated review (2011-2020)

Plant endophytes have been considered as novel sources of naturally occurring compounds with various biological activities, including cytotoxic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, herbicides, antileishmanial and antioxidant. A variety of specialised products, comprising terpenoids, alkaloids, polyketides, phenolic compounds, coumarins, and quinone derivatives have been reported from various strains. An increasing number of products, especially terpenoids, are being isolated from endophytes. Herein, the isolated new terpenoids from plant endophytic fungi, their hosts, as well as biological activities, from January 2011 until the end of 2020 are reviewed. In this period, 516 terpenoids are classified into monoterpenes (5), sesquiterpenes (299), diterpenes (76), sesterterpens (22), meroterpenes (83), triterpenes (29), and other terpenoids (2), were isolated from different plant endophytic fungi species.

Cochlioquinone derivatives produced by coculture of endophytes, Clonostachys rosea and Nectria pseudotrichia

Three new meroterpenoid derivatives, furanocochlioquinol (1) and furanocochlioquinone (2), as well as nectrianolin D (3), together with two known biogenetically related compounds 4 and 5 were isolated from a mixed culture of two mangrove-derived fungi, Clonostachys rosea B5-2 and Nectria pseudotrichia B69-1. The structures of 1-3 were deduced based on the interpretation of HRMS and NMR data. Compounds 1-5 exhibited cytotoxicity against human promyelocytic leukemia (HL60) cells with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.47 to 10.16 μM.

The chemistry and biology of fungal meroterpenoids (2009-2019)

Fungal meroterpenoids are secondary metabolites from mixed terpene-biosynthetic origins. Their intriguing chemical structural diversification and complexity, potential bioactivities, and pharmacological significance make them attractive targets in natural product chemistry, organic synthesis, and biosynthesis. This review provides a systematic overview of the isolation, chemical structural features, biological activities, and fungal biodiversity of 1585 novel meroterpenoids from 79 genera terrestrial and marine-derived fungi including macrofungi, Basidiomycetes, in 441 research papers in 2009-2019. Based on the nonterpenoid starting moiety in their biosynthesis pathway, meroterpenoids were classified into four categories (polyketide-terpenoid, indole-, shikimate-, and miscellaneous-) with polyketide-terpenoids (mainly tetraketide-) and shikimate-terpenoids as the primary source. Basidiomycota produced 37.5% of meroterpenoids, mostly shikimate-terpenoids. The genera of Ganoderma, Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Stachybotrys are the four dominant producers. Moreover, about 56% of meroterpenoids display various pronounced bioactivities, including cytotoxicity, enzyme inhibition, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antifungal activities. It's exciting that several meroterpenoids including antroquinonol and 4-acetyl antroquinonol B were developed into phase II clinically used drugs. We assume that the chemical diversity and therapeutic potential of these fungal meroterpenoids will provide biologists and medicinal chemists with a large promising sustainable treasure-trove for drug discovery.

Biological Activities of Some New Secondary Metabolites Isolated from Endophytic Fungi: A Review Study

Secondary metabolites isolated from plant endophytic fungi have been getting more and more attention. Some secondary metabolites exhibit high biological activities, hence, they have potential to be used for promising lead compounds in drug discovery. In this review, a total of 134 journal articles (from 2017 to 2019) were reviewed and the chemical structures of 449 new metabolites, including polyketides, terpenoids, steroids and so on, were summarized. Besides, various biological activities and structure-activity relationship of some compounds were aslo described.

Metabolites from Clonostachys Fungi and Their Biological Activities

Clonostachys (teleomorph: Bionectria) fungi are well known to produce a variety of secondary metabolites with various biological activities to show their pharmaceutical and agrochemical applications. Up to now, at least 229 secondary metabolites, mainly including 84 nitrogen-containing metabolites, 85 polyketides, 40 terpenoids, and 20 other metabolites, have been reported. Many of these compounds exhibit biological activities, such as cytotoxic, antimicrobial, antileishmanial, antimalarial activities. This mini-review aims to summarize the diversity of the secondary metabolites as well as their occurrences in Clonostachys fungi and biological activities.

Pseudonectrins A–D, heptaketides from an endophytic fungus Nectria pseudotrichia

The new heptaketides, pseudonectrins A–D (1–4), were isolated from a plant endophyte Nectria pseudotrichia. Compounds 1–3 showed moderate cytotoxicity towards human tumor cells.

New polyketides, paralactonic acids A-E produced by Paraconiothyrium sp. SW-B-1, an endophytic fungus associated with a seaweed, Chondrus ocellatus Holmes

Five polyketides, paralactonic acids A-E (1-5) were isolated from Paraconiothyrium sp. SW-B-1, an endophytic fungus isolated from the seaweed, Chondrus ocellatus Holmes. Their structures were determined by various spectroscopic methods, predominantly by 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-5 were determined by comparison of the experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Compound 5 showed moderate antibacterial activity and restored the growth of a mutant yeast strain inhibited by hyperactivated Ca²⁺-signaling.

New isocoumarins, naphthoquinones, and a cleistanthane-type diterpene from Nectria pseudotrichia 120-1NP

Four new compounds, namely, nectriapyrones A (2) and B (3), nectriaquinone B (5), and zythiostromic acid C (8), were isolated from the brown rice culture of Nectria pseudotrichia 120-1NP together with four known compounds (1, 4, 6, and 7). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of 4 from a natural source. Their structures were determined on the basis of 1D/2D-NMR spectroscopy and HRESITOFMS data. In addition, the absolute configuration of secondary alcohols in 8 were determined using modified Mosher's ester method. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobials activity, phytotoxicity, and cytotoxicity.