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Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz
ISSN: 1678-8060
EISSN: 1678-8060
Vol. 112, No. 10, 2017, pp. 692-697
Bioline Code: oc17098
Full paper language: English
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge

Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Vol. 112, No. 10, 2017, pp. 692-697

 en Antimycobacterial and antimalarial activities of endophytic fungi associated with the ancient and narrowly endemic neotropical plant Vellozia gigantea check for this species in other resources from Brazil
Ferreira, Mariana C; Cantrell, Charles L; Wedge, David E; Gonçalves, Vívian N; Jacob, Melissa R; Khan, Shabana; Rosa, Carlos A & Rosa, Luiz H

Abstract

BACKGROUND Endophytic fungi, present mainly in the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota phyla, are associated with different plants and represent important producers of bioactive natural products. Brazil has a rich biodiversity of plant species, including those reported as being endemic. Among the endemic Brazilian plant species, Vellozia gigantea (Velloziaceae) is threatened by extinction and is a promising target to recover endophytic fungi.

OBJECTIVE The present study focused on bioprospecting of bioactive compounds of the endophytic fungi associated with V. gigantea, an endemic, ancient, and endangered plant species that occurs only in the rupestrian grasslands of Brazil.

METHODS The capability of 285 fungal isolates to produce antimicrobial and antimalarial activities was examined. Fungi were grown at solid-state fermentation to recover their crude extracts in dichloromethane. Bioactive extracts were analysed by chromatographic fractionation and NMR and displayed compounds with antimicrobial, antimycobacterial, and antimalarial activities.

FINDINGS Five fungi produced antimicrobial and antimalarial compounds. Extracts of Diaporthe miriciae check for this species in other resources showed antifungal, antibacterial, and antimalarial activities; Trichoderma effusum check for this species in other resources displayed selective antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus check for this species in other resources and Mycobacterium intracellulare check for this species in other resources ; and three Penicillium check for this species in other resources species showed antibacterial activity. D. miriciae extract contained highly functionalised secondary metabolites, yielding the compound epoxycytochalasin H with high antimalarial activity against the chloroquine-resistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum, with an IC50 approximately 3.5-fold lower than that with chloroquine.

MAIN CONCLUSION Our results indicate that V. gigantea may represent a microhabitat repository hotspot of potential fungi producers of bioactive compounds and suggest that endophytic fungal communities might be an important biological component contributing to the fitness of the plants living in the rupestrian grassland.

Keywords
ancient plant; antimicrobial; fungi; malaria; natural products

 
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