Bioprospecting Endophytic Fungi For Bioactive Substances With Potential Antioxidant & Anti-Diabetic Activity - Current Review
Abstract
Endophytic fungi, which reside asymptomatically within plant tissues, have emerged as a prolific source of bioactive compounds with diverse therapeutic potentials. Recent research has focused on their ability to produce substances with significant antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of bioprospecting endophytic fungi for bioactive compounds with these specific activities. To evaluate and synthesize existing research on endophytic fungi-derived bioactive substances with potential antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities, highlighting their mechanisms of action, efficacy, and potential for therapeutic application. A systematic review of literature was conducted using major scientific databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Studies published up to 2023 were included if they investigated the antioxidant and/or anti-diabetic activities of compounds derived from endophytic fungi. The search terms used included "endophytic fungi," "bioactive compounds," "antioxidant activity," "anti-diabetic activity," "bioprospecting," and "therapeutic potential."
The review encompassed 45 studies, revealing a wide array of bioactive compounds isolated from endophytic fungi, including phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and peptides. These compounds exhibited significant antioxidant activities, demonstrated through assays such as DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP. In terms of anti-diabetic activity, several compounds were found to inhibit key enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, such as α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and to enhance insulin sensitivity. Notable endophytic fungi genera identified include “Penicillium”, “Aspergillus”, “Fusarium”, and “Trichoderma”, which were associated with host plants known for their medicinal properties. The findings underscore the potential of endophytic fungi as a rich source of bioactive compounds with therapeutic benefits. The antioxidant properties of these compounds can mitigate oxidative stress, a major contributor to chronic diseases, while their anti-diabetic effects offer promising avenues for managing diabetes. However, challenges such as the standardization of extraction methods, compound identification, and understanding the biosynthetic pathways need to be addressed to harness their full potential. Bioprospecting endophytic fungi holds significant promise for the discovery of novel bioactive substances with potent antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities. Future research should focus on large-scale isolation, structural characterization, and in vivo studies to validate the therapeutic potential of these compounds and facilitate their development into pharmaceutical agents.
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