Marvellous Muscodor spp.: Update on Their Biology and Applications

Abstract

Nearly 20 years ago, the first report appeared on the discovery of a novel genus-Muscodor. This organism was isolated as an endophyte from a cinnamon tree that had been introduced to Honduras from Sri Lanka in the early part of the last century. Characteristically, the original Muscodor albus, and all of its species isolated since that time are non-spore producers and each one exudes a characteristic spectrum of volatile bioactive compounds. The majority have a whitish mycelium, which is sometimes coiling, intertwined and decorated with variously shaped structures. Presently, there are at least 22 type species known/ documented and each has been described as an endophyte from various plant families with widely varying habitats. An enormous variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are produced by Muscodor spp. and some of these include esters, acids, aldehydes, ketones, aromatics, alkanes, alcohols, nitrosamides and terpenoids. The VOCs are both inhibitory and lethal to a wide variety of fungi and bacteria including some major pathogens of plants and humans. Interestingly, in almost all cases studied, no one compound by itself can mimic the bioactivity of the complete gas mixture, suggesting that the volatiles are acting in a synergistic manner and this has been tested with individual as well as the VOCs in various mixtures and concentrations. This review will discuss some of the recent findings in all aspects of this unique fungal genus whilst at the same time pointing out some of the major questions that remain about its biology, ecology and its applications in agriculture, medicine and other sectors. Most importantly, the authors provide arguments supporting the claim that Muscodor is taxonomically distinct from Induratia, a recently proposed change to its nomenclature.

Endophytic Fungi: Key Insights, Emerging Prospects, and Challenges in Natural Product Drug Discovery

“…Diverse types of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are produced by Muscodor spp. and comprise aldehydes, aromatics, esters, alcohols, terpenoids, and nitrosamides, among others [150]. The endophytic genus highlights multi-faceted attributes in industrial and agricultural applications, followed by food and healthcare, projecting direct and indirect applications.…”

“…The diverse application of VOCs, isolated from Muscodor spp., includes agricultural applications (antimicrobial agents, for soil fumigation, biofumigation, etc. ), food preservation, the perfume industry, and bioactive compounds in healthcare [150]. In addition, non-ribosomal peptides (NRP) and Penicillin (antibiotic) were isolated from a mangrove endophytic fungus, Penicillium chrysogenum MTCC 5108 [151].…”

Wastewater as a resource for pest control: An overview

“…Esters, acids, aldehydes, ketones, aromatics, alkanes, alcohols, nitrosamides, and terpenoids, are acting in a synergistic inhibitory manner of fungi and bacteria (Saxena and Strobel 2020). Table 2 shows the compounds present in wastewater, a diverse source (vinasses, olive mill, and cassava) that is of great interest for the control pests.…”

Polyphasic characterization and antimicrobial properties of Induratia species isolated from Coffea arabica in Brazil

“…The genus Induratia produces VOCs known for its lethal effects against a wide variety of pathogenic fungi (Strobel 2018;Kaddes et al 2019). Analysis and comparison of these compounds have been described as important tools for chemotaxonomic characterization (Kudalkar et al 2012;Suwannarach et al 2013;Siri-udom et al 2016;Saxena and Strobel 2020). However, as secondary metabolite profiles may have taxonomic significance, in addition to analyses using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), it is recommended to include methods such as high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and a series of cultures of isolates in different culture media and the growth phase (Samarakoon et al 2020).…”