Antiviral and Antioxidant Potential of Fungal Endophytes of Egyptian Medicinal Plants

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the antioxidant potential and antiviral activity of endophytic fungi which were isolated from healthy living tissues of medicinal plants. Endophytic strains (29 different taxa) were isolated from 18 Egyptian medicinal plants collected from Saint Katherine Protectorate, Egypt. The fungal endophytes were identified based on morphological characters. All isolates were identified as ascomycetes, except two Zygomycetes strains (Absidia corymbifera and Mucor fuscus). Isolated endophytes were cultivated on potato dextrose media. The fungal metabolites were extracted by ethyl acetate and examined for their biological activities. Among 99 total extracts, only Chaetomium globosum, which was isolated from Adiantum capillus, showed a promising DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activity (99% at 100 µg/mL). Fifteen extracts prohibited the reproduction of HSV-2 virus. On the other hand, the reproduction of VSV-virus was inhibited by sixteen endophytic extracts. The promising anti-(HSV-2 and VSV) extract of endophytic Pleospora tarda strain; that was originally isolated from the medicinal plant Ephedra aphylla, showed viral inhibitory activity of 40.7% and 15.2%, respectively. Two compounds, for which antiviral activates could be attributed, were isolated and identified as alternariol and alternariol-(9)-methyl ether using different NMR techniques from P. tarda extract. For the first time, we report here the ability of the endophytic fungus P. tarda to produce alternariol and alternariol-(9)-methyl ether. The results indicate that the endophytic fungi from medicinal plants are promising sources of bioactive compounds.

Endophytic fungal research in Egypt: Present status

“…The successful anti-(HSV-2 and VSV) native endophytic Pleospora tarda isolate extract; which was primarily recovered from the Ephedra aphylla revealed 40.7 percent and 15.2 percent virus inhibition action, separately. Also, Pleospora tarda able to yield alternariol and alternariol-(9)-methyl ether for the first time in this study (Selim et al 2018).…”

“…Another interesting application of endophytic fungal antibiotic products is the suppression of viruses. Over 100 endophytic fungal strains representing 29 diverse taxa from eighteen Egyptian medicinal plants recovered from Saint Katherine Protectorate, have been isolated and identified and their metabolites have been extracted with ethyl acetate by Selim et al (2018).…”

“…Moreover, in the methanol extract of A. alternata, liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) reported the existence of 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic as well as 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acids (Seddek et al 2018). Selim et al (2018) reported that Chaetomium globosum recovered from Adiantum capillus-veneris, showed an auspicious scavenging action of DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) with percentage 99% at 100 µg/mL from 99 extracts.…”

Histologic observation, identification, and secondary metabolites analysis of endophytic fungi isolated from a medicinal plant, hedychium acuminatum Roscoe

“…Alkaloid could be used in agriculture, as a biocontrol toward the plant pest [29]. This research result proved that 11 endophytic fungi species isolated from H. acuminatum rhizome, leaf sheath, and the leaf parts could produce some useful secondary metabolites so that the secondary metabolites isolation could be taken from the endophytic fungi liquid culture.…”

Fungal Endophytic Community Associated with Guarana (Paullinia cupana Var. Sorbilis): Diversity Driver by Genotypes in the Centre of Origin

“…This inability to produce conidia under laboratory conditions indicates that growth was metabolically unfavorable for the formation of reproductive structures [ 66 ]. Although conidiophores and conidia represent commonly reported characteristics in the literature, their value can be limited, since more than 50% of the total endophytic fungi usually does not sporulate on the used substrates [ 71 , 72 ]. Molecular biology analysis through amplification of the ITS region allowed the identification to the genus level, especially of sterile fungi that could not be classified in any taxonomic setting based on the morphology.…”