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Host metabolite producing endophytic fungi isolated from Hypericum perforatum

Aruna Vigneshwari1,2, Dávid Rakk1, Anikó Németh3

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.

Plos One
|May 22, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Endophytic fungi isolated from St. John's Wort produce hypericin and emodin. Epicoccum nigrum and Alternaria species showed significant antimicrobial activity, outperforming pure compounds.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Natural Products Chemistry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Hypericum perforatum (St. John's Wort) is a medicinal herb containing valuable metabolites.
  • Endophytic fungi residing within medicinal plants are a potential source of bioactive compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To isolate endophytic fungi from Hypericum perforatum.
  • To investigate the ability of these fungi to produce hypericin and emodin.
  • To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the fungal isolates and their metabolites.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and culturing of endophytic fungi from Hypericum perforatum.
  • High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) and Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) for metabolite analysis.
  • Antimicrobial assays against selected bacteria.

Main Results:

  • Three fungal isolates produced emodin, with one isolate (Epicoccum nigrum SZMC 23769) also producing hypericin.
  • Epicoccum nigrum and Alternaria sp. SZMC 23772 exhibited superior antimicrobial activity compared to hypericin and emodin standards.
  • Alternaria sp. SZMC 23771 showed varied antimicrobial activity against specific bacterial strains.

Conclusions:

  • Endophytic fungi, specifically Epicoccum nigrum and Alternaria species, can biosynthesize key metabolites like hypericin and emodin.
  • These fungal endophytes possess significant antimicrobial properties, offering potential for novel therapeutic agents.

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