Sixty-five crude extracts from 51 selected endophytic fungi isolated from Garcinia species were tested for various bioactivities. Eighty per cent of the fungal extracts from fermentation broths and mycelia displayed bioactivities: antimycobacterial (76.9%), antimalarial (14.1%), antiviral (16.7%), antioxidant (22.2%), antiproliferation (11.1% against NCI-H187 and 12.7% against KB cells), and cytotoxicity to Vero cells (40.0%). Based on internal transcribed spacer rRNA sequence analysis, 15 bioactive isolates were identified as Aspergillus, Botryosphaeria, Curvularia, Fusicoccum, Guignardia, Muscodor, Penicillium, Pestalotiopsis, and Phomopsis spp. One isolate (N24) was matched with an unidentified fungal endophyte. These results indicate that endophytic fungi isolated from Garcinia plants in Thailand are potential sources of various bioactive natural products.

The aim of the present study was to screen for antimicrobial activity in endophytic fungi isolated from surface sterilized leaves and branches of five Garcinia plants, G. atroviridis, G. dulcis, G. mangostana, G. nigrolineata and G. scortechinii, found in southern Thailand. Fermentation broths from 377 isolated fungi were tested for antimicrobial activity by the agar diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were obtained for crude ethyl acetate extracts. Seventy isolates (18.6%) displayed antimicrobial activity against at least one pathogenic microorganism, such as Staphylococcus aureus, a clinical isolate of methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. The results revealed that 6-10%, 1-2% and 18% of the crude ethyl acetate extracts inhibited both strains of S. aureus (MIC 32-512 microg mL(-1)), Ca. albicans and Cr. neoformans (MIC 64-200 microg mL(-1)), and Microsporum gypseum (MIC 2-64 microg mL(-1)), respectively. Isolates D15 and M76 displayed the strongest antibacterial activity against both strains of S. aureus. Isolates M76 and N24 displayed strong antifungal activity against M. gypseum. Fungal molecular identification based on internal transcribed spacer rRNA gene sequence analysis demonstrated that isolates D15 (DQ480353), M76 (DQ480360) and N24 (DQ480361) represented Phomopsis sp., Botryosphaeria sp. and an unidentified fungal endophyte, respectively. These results indicate that some endophytic fungi from Garcinia plants are a potential source of antimicrobial agents.

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Two pimarane diterpenes, named scopararanes A (1) and B (2), and two cytochalasins, named scoparasins A (3) and B (4), along with 4,8-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-4,5-dimethyl-3-methyleneisochroman-1-one (5) and diaportheins A (6) and B (7) were isolated from a culture broth of the endophytic fungus Eutypella scoparia PSU-D44. Their antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Microsporum gypseum SH-MU-4 were examined.