New Bioactive Sesquiterpeniods From the Plant Endophytic Fungus Pestalotiopsis theae

Endophytic fungi: A future prospect for breast cancer therapeutics and drug development

Globally, breast cancer is a primary contributor to cancer-related fatalities and illnesses among women. Consequently, there is a pressing need for safe and effective treatments for breast cancer. Bioactive compounds from endophytic fungi that live in symbiosis with medicinal plants have garnered significant interest in pharmaceutical research due to their extensive chemical composition and prospective medicinal attributes. This review underscores the potentiality of fungal endophytes as a promising resource for the development of innovative anticancer agents specifically tailored for breast cancer therapy. The diversity of endophytic fungi residing in medicinal plants, success stories of key endophytic bioactive metabolites tested against breast cancer and the current progress with regards to in vivo studies and clinical trials on endophytic fungal metabolites in breast cancer research forms the underlying theme of this article. A thorough compilation of putative anticancer compounds sourced from endophytic fungi that have demonstrated therapeutic potential against breast cancer, spanning the period from 1990 to 2022, has been presented. This review article also outlines the latest trends in endophyte-based drug discovery, including the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, multi-omics approaches, and high-throughput strategies. The challenges and future prospects associated with fungal endophytes as substitutive sources for developing anticancer drugs targeting breast cancer are also being highlighted.

Recent advances on Pestalotiopsis genus: chemistry, biological activities, structure-activity relationship, and biosynthesis

Strains of the fungal genus Pestalotiopsis are reported as large promising sources of structurally varied biologically active metabolites. Many bioactive secondary metabolites with diverse structural features have been derived from Pestalotiopsis. Moreover, some of these compounds can potentially be developed into lead compounds. Herein, we have systematically reviewed the chemical constituents and bioactivities of the fungal genus Pestalotiopsis, covering a period ranging from January 2016 to December 2022. As many as 307 compounds, including terpenoids, coumarins, lactones, polyketides, and alkaloids, were isolated during this period. Furthermore, for the benefit of readers, the biosynthesis and potential medicinal value of these new compounds are also discussed in this review. Finally, the perspectives and directions for future research and the potential applications of the new compounds are summarized in various tables.

Pestalotiopsis Diversity: Species, Dispositions, Secondary Metabolites, and Bioactivities

Pestalotiopsis species have gained attention thanks to their structurally complex and biologically active secondary metabolites. In past decades, several new secondary metabolites were isolated and identified. Their bioactivities were tested, including anticancer, antifungal, antibacterial, and nematicidal activity. Since the previous review published in 2014, new secondary metabolites were isolated and identified from Pestalotiopsis species and unidentified strains. This review gathered published articles from 2014 to 2021 and focused on 239 new secondary metabolites and their bioactivities. To date, 384 Pestalotiopsis species have been discovered in diverse ecological habitats, with the majority of them unstudied. Some may contain secondary metabolites with unique bioactivities that might benefit pharmacology.

Alternarialone A, a new curvularin-type metabolite from the mangrove-derived fungus Alternaria longipes

Alternarialone A (1), one new curvularin derivative, and two known compounds (2 and 3) were isolated from the crude extract of the mangrove-derived fungus Alternaria longipes. Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, including MS and NMR spectroscopic data. The absolute configuration of 1 was assigned by ¹³C NMR calculations and a comparison of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. All compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activities against Helicobacter pylori. Compounds 2 and 3 showed antibacterial activities against H. pylori G27 with MIC values of 8 and 16 µg/ml, respectively, while compound 3 also displayed antibacterial activity against H. pylori BHKS159 with the MIC value of 16 µg/ml.

Endophytic Fungi: An Effective Alternative Source of Plant-Derived Bioactive Compounds for Pharmacological Studies

Plant-associated fungi (endophytic fungi) are a biodiversity-rich group of microorganisms that are normally found asymptomatically within plant tissues or in the intercellular spaces. Endophytic fungi promote the growth of host plants by directly producing secondary metabolites, which enhances the plant's resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Additionally, they are capable of biosynthesizing medically important "phytochemicals" that were initially thought to be produced only by the host plant. In this review, we summarized some compounds from endophyte fungi with novel structures and diverse biological activities published between 2011 and 2021, with a focus on the origin of endophytic fungi, the structural and biological activity of the compounds they produce, and special attention paid to the exploration of pharmacological activities and mechanisms of action of certain compounds. This review revealed that endophytic fungi had high potential to be harnessed as an alternative source of secondary metabolites for pharmacological studies.

Metabolites With Cytotoxic Activities From the Mangrove Endophytic Fungus Fusarium sp. 2ST2

Two new 3-decalinoyltetramic acid derivatives with peroxide bridge fusarisetins E (1) and F (2), one new chromone fusarimone A (5), two new benzofurans fusarifurans A (9) and B (10), three new isocoumarins fusarimarins A–C (11–13), as well as five known analogues 3, 4, 6–8 and 14 were isolated from mangrove endophytic fungus Fusarium sp. 2ST2. Their structures and absolute configurations were established by spectroscopic analysis, density functional theory-gauge invariant atomic orbital NMR calculation with DP4+ statistical analysis, and electronic circular dichroism calculation. Compounds 1 and 2 showed significant cytotoxicity against human A549 cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 8.7 and 4.3 μM, respectively.