Endophytic fungi—The treasure chest of antibacterial substances

Over more than 20 years, the endophytic fungi have been explored as “biofactories” of novel bioactive substances, and they have not disappointed. Among the extracts and pure substances obtained from the culture broths or fungal biomass, some have exerted antibacterial activity ranging from moderate to powerful when tested on the bacterial strains resistant to the antibiotics currently in use. In this article we review the accumulated data on endophytic fungi isolated from plants that produce metabolites with antibacterial activity against human pathogenic bacteria.     

Effects of soil extracts from repeated plantation woodland of Chinese-fir on microbial activities and soil nitrogen mineralization dynamics

Effects of soil extracts from repeated plantation woodlands of Chinese-fir on soil fungi growth, the activities of microbial communities, and rates of net soil nitrogen mineralization were investigated. Soil extracts from replanted woodlands significantly inhibited soil non-pathogenic fungi growth, reduced soil respiration activities, and net soil nitrogen mineralization rates. However, soil extracts from replanted woodland increased the growth of pathogenic fungi. The combination of soil extracts and pathogenic fungi did not significantly reduce the growth of Chinese-fir seedlings when compared to the soil extracts alone. The combination of soil extracts with pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungi significantly increased the growth of Chinese-fir seedlings when compared to the combination of soil extracts and pathogenic fungi. The results suggest that the allelochemicals from soil extracts, rather than pathogenic fungi, are the key factor regulating the productivity and nitrogen cycling in repeated plantation woodlands.     

In vitro antimicrobial efficacy of Centratherum anthelminticum seeds extracts

The in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of different extracts of seeds of Centratherum anthelminticum was studied by the filter paper disk method against several human pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Some of the extracts showed significant effect over tested bacteria and fungi.     

An optimized microplate assay system for quantitative evaluation of plant cell wall-degrading enzyme activity of fungal culture extracts

Developing enzyme cocktails for cellulosic biomass hydrolysis complementary to current cellulase systems is a critical step needed for economically viable biofuels production. Recent genomic analysis indicates that some plant pathogenic fungi are likely a largely untapped resource in which to prospect for novel hydrolytic enzymes for biomass conversion. In order to develop high throughput screening assays for enzyme bioprospecting, a standardized microplate assay was developed for rapid analysis of polysaccharide hydrolysis by fungal extracts, incorporating biomass substrates. Fungi were grown for 10 days on cellulose- or switchgrass-containing media to produce enzyme extracts for analysis. Reducing sugar released from filter paper, Avicel, corn stalk, switchgrass, carboxymethylcellulose, and arabinoxylan was quantified using a miniaturized colorimetric assay based on 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid. Significant interactions were identified among fungal species, growth media composition, assay substrate, and temperature. Within a small sampling of plant pathogenic fungi, some extracts had crude activities comparable to or greater than T. reesei, particularly when assayed at lower temperatures and on biomass substrates. This microplate assay system should prove useful for high-throughput bioprospecting for new sources of novel enzymes for biofuel production.     

药用植物内生菌的分离及抗菌活性的初步研究

为研究药用植物金荞麦、款冬及黄皮树中内生菌的抗菌活性,筛选具有广谱抗菌效果的内生菌。以导致人畜及植物致病的15种病原微生物为拮抗菌株,采用改进K-B纸片法、生长速率法及琼脂二倍稀释法进行抑菌试验。结果从三种药用植物中共分离到内生菌38株,其中FE-R9、TE-R7、PE-S11三株内生真菌发酵液提取物对10种人畜指示菌的最低抑菌浓度(M IC)分别在7.50~15.00 g.L-1、3.13~12.50 g.L-1、0.39~15.00 g.L-1之间。FE-R9、TE-R7、PE-S11对多种病原微生物具有显著抑制生长的作用,这可为寻找天然抗菌物质提供资源。     

藓类提取物对植物病原真菌的抑菌性研究

以立枯丝核菌(Rhizoctonia)、尖孢镰孢菌(Fusarium oxysporum)、苹果轮纹病菌(Macrophoma kawatsukai)、梨黑星病菌(Fusicladium pirina)、草莓灰霉菌(Botrytis cinerea)等七种植物病原真菌为供试菌,通过生长速率法测定了24种藓类的乙醇提取物对病原真菌的抑制作用.结果表明,在提取物浓度为1.2mg干样/mL,大镰刀藓提取物对立枯丝核菌的抑制作用最强,抑菌率为67.8%.藓类提取物不仅对植物病原真菌有抑菌活性,而且还有多种藓类提取物对病原真菌菌丝有促进生长活性,如锐尖匍灯藓对立枯丝核菌菌丝生长的促进率为95.1%.选出大镰刀藓、扁灰藓、紫萼藓、山地水灰藓、疣小金发藓、橙色净口藓、锐尖匍灯藓和羊角藓对立枯丝核菌和灰霉菌的抑菌性或菌丝生长促进性进行了进一步研究,藓类提取物对病原菌的抑菌性或菌丝生长促进性在一定范围内随浓度的增加而增强,并且抑菌性随时间的延长呈下降趋势.     

Fungitoxic properties of selected South African plant species against plant pathogens of economic importance in agriculture

Thirty‐nine plant species, representing 20 families from the subclasses Rosidae, Asteridae, Commelinidae and Liliidae, were collected from the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Crude extracts were prepared and bioassayed, at equal concentrations, for their antifungal potential by determining the inhibitory effects on the mycelial growth of seven economically important plant pathogenic fungi. Statistically significant differences between plants and plant parts were observed as well as the resistance of different fungi to treatment with different plant extracts. The most significant mycelial growth inhibition was obtained with extracts from two species of the subclass Liliidae, namely Aristea ecklonii and Agapanthus inapertus. The crude extract of A. ecklonii performed best of all extracts as it totally inhibited the mycelial growth of all seven of the plant pathogenic test organisms and outperformed the inhibition by a broad spectrum synthetic fungicide (carbendazim/difenoconazole). Crude extracts of A. inapertus showed complete inhibition of four and strong inhibition of the remaining three plant pathogenic fungi. Although not as efficient as the previous two species, the extract of Anisopappus junodii, from the subclass Asteridae, also showed promising antifungal activity by completely inhibiting mycelial radial growth of two and strongly inhibiting that of the remaining five fungi.     

Natural products of Alternaria sp., an endophytic fungus isolated from Salvadora persica from Saudi Arabia

This study is to evaluate the potential of endophytic fungi of Salvadora persica for the production of bioactive compounds against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Forty-two fungal isolates were obtained from 135 young and old stem and 125 root segments. Those 42 isolates representing ten fungi include: Trichoderma sp. (the most common), two species of Alternaria, Rhizopus arrhizus and 6 sterile mycelia. The ten fungi were grown in liquid culture and their crude extracts were tested against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Nine crude extracts gave positive reactions against pathogenic bacteria of which Alternaria sp. (A8) was chosen further study. The fungal isolate was growing as sterile mycelium and was identified by phylogenetic analyses based on LSU rDNA sequence data and it might represent undescribed species of Alternaria. Sixty-two bioactive chemical compounds were identified from the ethyl acetate crude extracts of Alternaria sp., of which the following were recorded as major compounds in the active sub-fractions. These compounds showed strong antibacterial activity in combination.     

地衣型真菌次级代谢产物抗菌活性初步研究

地衣是一种传统的民族药物,能产生多种具有活性的物质。该研究对地衣型真菌(Xanthoria elegans,Myelochroa indica,Ramalina peruviana,Cladonia macilenta,Nephromopsis pallescens,Cladonia coccifera)进行液体培养,2个月后,培养液用乙酸乙酯萃取后获得初提物。该研究采用抑菌圈法评价地衣型真菌初提物对7种致病细菌(Bacillus subtilis,Bacillus cereus,Vibrio parahaemolyticus,Straphylococcus haemolyticus,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Staphylococcus aureus,Micrococcus luteus)的抗菌活性,并测定最低抑菌浓度(MIC)。结果表明:6种地衣型真菌的初提物均具有一定的抗菌活性,且不同培养基对地衣型真菌产生抗菌物质有显著影响。其中,R.peruviana在MY液体培养基中所产生的次级代谢产物对金黄色葡萄球菌、藤黄微球菌、溶血性葡萄球菌、铜尿假单胞菌具有抑制效果,但在YMG培养基中所得初提物对供试7种致病细菌不具有抑菌效果。X.elegans在YMG培养基中所得初提物对枯草芽孢杆菌具有明显抗菌活性,其抑菌圈直径可达17.77 mm。该研究证实不同地衣型真菌液体培养初提物具有抗菌活性,不同的培养基也直接影响地衣型真菌抗菌效果。该研究结果为地衣型真菌的进一步研究及民族药的开发利用奠定了基础。     

Seasonal variations in the production of antifungal substances by some dictyotales (brown algae) from the french mediterranean coast

Hexane extracts of some algae belonging to the Dictyotales collected over a 12 month period were tested for their antifungal activity using human pathogenic fungi (yeasts, moulds and dermatophytes) and phytopathogenic fungi responsible for diseases in Mediterranean plants and trees. The three algal species tested (Dictyota dichotoma, Dictyota dichotoma var. implexa, Dilophus spiralis) exhibited a wide spectrum of antifungal activity which varied during the seasons.     

小桐子枝叶提取物对植物病原真菌的生物活性

采用菌丝生长抑制法,测定了小桐子枝叶6种不同溶剂提取物对小麦赤霉病菌、稻瘟病菌、烟草疫霉菌和辣椒疫霉菌的抑制作用,从中筛选出抑制作用最强的粗提物进行进一步的活性组分分离和抑菌活性测定。结果表明小桐子枝叶的乙醇提取物对4种植物病原菌抑制活性最高,在浓度为0.8 g·L^-1时,小桐子枝叶的乙醇提取物对小麦赤霉病菌、稻瘟病菌、烟草疫霉菌、辣椒疫霉菌菌丝生长抑制率分别为：87.1%、90.3%、86.4%、77.9%,其抗菌活性与农药世高均无显著差异;在小桐子枝叶乙醇提取物的不同溶剂萃取物对稻瘟病菌和烟草疫霉病菌进行生物活性追踪测试中发现,石油醚和水萃取物都具有较好的活性,当浓度为0.8 g·L^-1时,石油醚和水萃取物对两种病菌抑制率都达50%以上。表明小桐子枝叶含有丰富的抗植物病原真菌活性物质,且主要存在于小桐子枝叶乙醇提取物的石油醚相和水相中。     

Biological activities from extracts of endophytic fungi isolated from Viguiera arenaria and Tithonia diversifolia

A total of 39 endophytic fungi have been isolated from Viguiera arenaria and Tithonia diversifolia, both collected in S?o Paulo State, Brazil. The isolates were identified based on their ribosomal DNA sequences. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extracts of all endophytic fungi were evaluated for their antimicrobial, antiparasitic and antitumoral activity. Antimicrobial screening was conducted using an agar diffusion assay against three pathogenic microorganisms: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. Antiparasitic activity was determined by enzymatic inhibition of gGAPDH of Trypanosoma cruzi and adenine phosphorybosiltransferase (APRT) of Leishmania tarentolae. Antitumoral activity was tested against human T leukemia cells by the Mosmann colorimetric method. All extracts showed activity in at least one assay: 79.5% of the extracts were cytotoxic against leukemia cells, 5.1% of the extracts were active against S. aureus, 25.6% against E. coli and 64.1% against Candida albicans. Only one extract showed promising results in the inhibition of parasitic enzymes gGAPDH (95.0%) and three were found to inhibit APRT activity. The cytotoxic extract produced by the strain VA1 (Glomerella cingulata) was fractionated and yielded nectriapyrone and tyrosol. Nectriapyrone showed relevant cytotoxic activity against both human T leukemia and melanoma tumor cell lines.     

鄂西北产苍耳子甲醇粗提物抑菌活性及其清除DPPH能力的初步评价

采用生长速率法、孢子萌发法及DPPH自由基清除法,对产自鄂西北的野生植物苍耳子粗提物体外抑菌活性及抗氧化性进行了初步测定.结果表明,苍耳子甲醇粗提物对绿色木霉、黄瓜灰霉菌、黑曲霉、终极腐霉、尖镰孢菌黄瓜专化型五种病原真菌均有一定的抑制作用,其中无论是抑制菌丝生长还是孢子萌发,均对黑曲霉显示出了显著的抑制活性.实验结果也...     

木本曼陀罗内生真菌抗菌活性的筛选研究

从木本曼陀罗植物内生真菌中筛选高效抗菌活性的菌株。选择与人类和植物相关的36株病原微生物,分别对分离自木本曼陀罗(Datura arborea L.)植物的内生真菌77株进行了发酵代谢产物的抗菌活性筛选研究。结果显示:对细菌病原菌、皮肤致病真菌、植物致病真菌有抑制作用的内生真菌分别有24,9,17株,其中5株内生真菌对10种以上的供试病原菌有明显的抑制作用,活性最好的1株对20种病原菌有较强抑制活性,最大抑菌圈直径达48mm。这说明木本曼陀罗植物内生真菌抗菌能力较强,抗菌谱较广。     

欧美107杨树提取物体外对植物病原真菌的抑制活性

制备了欧美107杨树枝条和叶的乙醇粗提物及不同极性溶剂的萃取部分,并测定了它们对植物病原真菌的抑制活性。枝条和叶的乙醇粗提物对棉花枯萎病菌、小麦纹枯病菌、番茄早疫病菌、番茄枯萎病菌、黄瓜枯萎病菌、小麦赤霉以及玉米弯孢等7种植物病原真菌均具有一定的抑制作用。而枝条的乙醇粗提物对杨树溃疡病菌的菌丝生长有一定的促进作用。抗菌活性成分主要集中在乙酸乙酯萃取部分。     

Melanin as a virulence factor of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and other dimorphic pathogenic fungi: a minireview

Melanin pigments are substances produced by a broad variety of pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and helminths. Microbes predominantly produce melanin pigment via tyrosinases, laccases, catecholases, and the polyketide synthase pathway. In fungi, melanin is deposited in the cell wall and cytoplasm, and melanin particles (“ghosts”) can be isolated from these fungi that have the same size and shape of the original cells. Melanin has been reported in several human pathogenic dimorphic fungi including Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Sporothrix schenckii, Histoplasma capsulatum, Blastomyces dermatitidis, and Coccidioides posadasii. Melanization appears to contribute to virulence by reducing the susceptibility of melanized fungi to host defense mechanisms and antifungal drugs.     

UHPLC‐HRMS/MS Based Profiling of Algerian Lichens and Their Antimicrobial Activities

Lichens are complex symbiotic organisms able to produce a vast array of compounds. The Algerian lichen diversity has only prompted little interest even given the 1085 species listed. Herein, the chemodiversity of four Algerian lichens including Cladonia rangiformis, Ramalina farinaceae, R. fastigiata, and Roccella phycopsis was investigated. A dereplication strategy, using ultra high performance liquid chromatography‐high resolution‐electrospray ionization‐mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐HRMS/MS), was carried out for a comprehensive characterization of their substances including phenolics, depsides, depsidones, depsones, dibenzofurans, and aliphatic acids. Some known compounds were identified for the first time in some species. Additionally, the lichenic extracts were evaluated for their antifungal and antimicrobial activities on human pathogenic strains (Candida albicans, C. glabrata, Aspergillus fumigatus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli). Cyclohexane extracts were found particularly active against human pathogenic fungi with MIC₈₀ values ranging from 8 to 62.5 μg/mL, without cytotoxicity. This study highlights the therapeutic and prophylactic potential of lichenic extracts as antibacterial and antifungal agents.     

Molecular characterization and antimicrobial activity of endophytic fungi from coffee plants

Endophytic filamentous fungi from coffee plants (Coffea arabica and C. robusta) deposited in the Brazilian Collection of Environmental and Industrial Microorganisms (CBMAI) were characterized taxonomically by using molecular tools and investigated concerning their antimicrobial activity against different human pathogenic bacteria. Thirty-seven out of 39 CBMAI strains investigated were identified to at least at genus level by ITS and rDNA D1/D2 sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. Bioactivity screening of fungal extracts against Salmonella choleraesuis (CBMAI 484), Staphylococcus aureus (CBMAI 485), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CBMAI 489) and against four different Escherichia coli serotypes showed that 17 fungi inhibited at least one of the bacteria studied. The endophytic fungi Trichoderma harzianum (CBMAI 43), Guignardia sp. (CBMAI 69) and Phomopsis sp. (CBMAI 164) inhibited from four to five bacterial species, while five fungi were active against all pathogenic bacteria tested and were identified as Aspergillus versicolor (CBMAI 46), Fusarium oxysporum (CBMAI 53), Glomerella sp. (CBMAI 63) and Cladosporium spp. (CBMAI 64 and CBMAI 66). The Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for the fungus extracts varied from 0.025 to 1.0 mg ml⁻¹, demonstrating antimicrobial potential of some of these fungi.     

Antimicrobial activity of wax and hexane extracts from Citrus spp. peels

Antibacterial and antifungal properties of wax and hexane extracts of Citrus spp. peels were tested using bioautographic and microdilution techniques against three plant pathogenic fungi (Penicillium digitatum, Curvularia sp., and Colletotrichum sp.), two human pathogens (Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum canis), and two opportunistic bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus). Two polymethoxylated flavonoids and a coumarin derivative, were isolated and identified from peel extracts, which presented antimicrobial activity especially against M. canis and T. mentagrophytes: 4',5,6,7,8-pentamethoxyflavone (tangeritin) and 3',4',5,6,7,8-hexamethoxyflavone (nobiletin) from C. reticulata; and 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin (also known as escoparone, scoparone or scoparin) from C. limon.     

Antimicrobial activity of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) cultivar Avenger against pathogenic bacteria,phytopathogenic filamentous fungi and yeast

Aims

The objective of this study was to show whether the edible part of broccoli has antibacterial and antifungal activity against micro‐organism of importance in human health and vegetable spoilage, and to test if this effect was partially due to antimicrobial peptides (AMPs).

Methods and Results

Crude extracts were obtained from florets and stems of broccoli cultivar Avenger and the inhibitory effect was demonstrated against pathogenic bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus xylosus, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexneri, Shigella sonnei, Proteus vulgaris), phytopathogenic fungi (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Asperigillus niger) and yeasts (Candida albicans and Rhodotorula sp.). It was shown that samples treated with proteolytic enzymes had a reduction of approximately 60% in antibacterial activity against Staph. xylosus, suggesting that proteinaceous compounds might play a role in the inhibitory effect. Antimicrobial components in crude extracts were thermoresistant and the highest activity was observed under acidic conditions. It was shown that antifungal activity of broccoli's crude extracts might not be attributed to chitinases.

Conclusions

Organic broccoli cultivar Avenger has antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria, yeast and phytophatogenic fungi. Data suggest that this effect is partially due to AMPs.

Significance and Impact of the Study

Broccoli's crude extracts have activity not only against pathogenic bacteria but also against phytophatogenic fungi of importance in agriculture. We suggest for first time that the inhibitory effect is probably due to AMPs.