One new piperazinedione isolated from a mangrove-derived fungus Aspergillus niger JX-5

Penicixanthene E, a new xanthene isolated from a mangrove-derived fungus Penicillium sp

One new xanthene derivative, named penicixanthene E (1), together with one known compound 2, was isolated from the EtOAc extract of the endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. GXIMD 03101, which was identified from the mangrove Acanthus ilicifolius L. collected in the South China Sea. The structure of 1 was elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectral interpretation and HREISMS data. The absolute configurations of C-9 and C-11 in 1 were proposed based on electronic circular dichroism (ECD), but the configuration at C-3 in 1 was unassigned. Compound 1 represents a xanthene derivative that was first reported, in which carbon-carbon double bond has been reduced. The cytotoxic activities of all compounds were evaluated, the result showed that compound 1 has weak activity against pancreatic cancer SW1990.

The Endophytic Aspergillus Strains: A Bountiful Source of Natural Products

Fungi that invade plant inner tissues without inducing disease symptoms are known as fungal endophytes. They represent a promising and tremendous reservoir of natural products with valuable biological potentials for application in medicine, agriculture and industry. Among the numerous existing endophytic fungi, Aspergillus strains constitute one of the most prolific sources of secondary metabolites with diverse chemical classes and interesting biological activities. This review covers the literature of the year 2020, reporting the isolation of 202 compounds obtained from more than ten different endophytic Aspergillus species associated with different host plants. Analysis and interpretation of the collected data revealed that chemical investigation of endophytes belonging to the genus Aspergillus may greatly contribute in the discovery of potential drug leads. The isolated metabolites were chemically various and exhibited diverse biological activities such as antibacterial, anti-cancer, anti-plasmodial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunosuppressive and antifungal activities. Moreover, adoption of advanced technology in molecular biology together with modern chemical tools is anticipated to improve the discovery of new biopharmaceuticals from this valuable microbial world in the future.

Two new benzophenones isolated from a mangrove-derived fungus Penicillium sp

One new benzophenone derivative, named penibenzophenone C (1), and a new benzophenone natural product, neamed penibenzophenone D (2), together with two known compounds (3, 4) were isolated from the EtOAc extract of the endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. isolated from the mangrove Acanthus ilicifolius L. collected in the South China Sea. The structures of 1-4 were elucidated by extensive NMR spectral interpretation and MS data. The new compounds 1 and 2 showed moderate antibacterial activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with the MIC values of 3.12 and 6.25 μg ml^-1, respectively.

Secondary metabolites from mangrove-associated fungi: source, chemistry and bioactivities

Covering 1989 to 2020The mangrove forests are a complex ecosystem occurring at tropical and subtropical intertidal estuarine zones and nourish a diverse group of microorganisms including fungi, actinomycetes, bacteria, cyanobacteria, algae, and protozoa. Among the mangrove microbial community, mangrove associated fungi, as the second-largest ecological group of the marine fungi, not only play an essential role in creating and maintaining this biosphere but also represent a rich source of structurally unique and diverse bioactive secondary metabolites, attracting significant attention of organic chemists and pharmacologists. This review summarizes the discovery relating to the source and characteristics of metabolic products isolated from mangrove-associated fungi over the past thirty years (1989-2020). Its emphasis included 1387 new metabolites from 451 papers, focusing on bioactivity and the unique chemical diversity of these natural products.