In recent years, the search for novel natural compounds with bioactive properties has received a remarkable boost in view of their possible pharmaceutical exploitation. In this respect the sea is entitled to hold a prominent place, considering the potential of the manifold animals and plants interacting in this ecological context, which becomes even greater when their associated microbes are considered for bioprospecting. This is the case particularly of fungi, which have only recently started to be considered for their fundamental contribution to the biosynthetic potential of other more valued marine organisms. Also in this regard, strains of species which were previously considered typical terrestrial fungi, such as Penicillium and Talaromyces, disclose foreground relevance. This paper offers an overview of data published over the past 25 years concerning the production and biological activities of secondary metabolites of marine strains belonging to these genera, and their relevance as prospective drugs.

Abstract:It is known that plant-based ethnomedicine represented the foundation of modern pharmacology and that many pharmaceuticals are derived from compounds occurring in plant extracts. This track still stimulates a worldwide investigational activity aimed at identifying novel bioactive products of plant origin. However, the discovery that endophytic fungi are able to produce many plant-derived drugs has disclosed new horizons for their availability and production on a large scale by the pharmaceutical industry. In fact, following the path traced by the blockbuster drug taxol, an increasing number of valuable compounds originally characterized as secondary metabolites of plant species belonging to the Spermatophyta have been reported as fermentation products of endophytic fungal strains. Aspects concerning sources and bioactive properties of these compounds are reviewed in this paper.

Chemical investigation of the culture broth of the fungus Eutypella scoparia ICB-OBX, isolated from the marine pulmonate mollusc Onchidium sp., led to the finding of novel compounds 1 and 2, structurally related to angiotensin II binding inhibitors cytosporins, along with unrelated known nitrogen metabolites (compounds 3-5). The structure and the relative stereochemistry of the novel metabolites were assigned mainly by a detailed analysis of twodimensional NMR techniques whereas the absolute stereochemistry was proposed by modified Mosher's method. Compound 2 contains an unusual cyclic carbonate functionality that is rare among natural products.

Production of fungitoxic extrolites was evaluated in culture filtrates of several isolates belonging to Penicillium canescens and P. janczewskii that showed some extent of inhibitory activity against the plant pathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani. In addition to griseofulvin and dechlorogriseofulvin that are already known in these species, curvulinic acid, previously unreported in Penicillium, was produced by all isolates assayed. Another extrolite recently characterized from a P. verrucosum strain by the name of Sch 642305 was detected in 5 isolates of P. canescens only. The purified compound completely inhibited mycelial growth of isolates of Rhizoctonia solani and other plant pathogenic fungi in vitro. The role of this extrolite as a possible biochemical determinant of antagonism toward plant pathogenic fungi, and implications concerning chemotaxonomy are discussed.

Endophytic fungi have a great influence on plant health and growth, and are an important source of bioactive natural compounds. Organic extracts obtained from the culture filtrate of an endophytic strain of Talaromyces pinophilus isolated from strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) were studied. Metabolomic analysis revealed the presence of three bioactive metabolites, the siderophore ferrirubin, the platelet-aggregation inhibitor herquline B and the antibiotic 3-O-methylfunicone. The latter was the major metabolite produced by this strain and displayed toxic effects against the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Homoptera Aphidiidae). This toxicity represents an additional indication that the widespread endophytic occurrence of T. pinophilus may be related to a possible role in defensive mutualism. Moreover, the toxic activity on aphids could promote further study on 3-O-methylfunicone, or its derivatives, as an alternative to synthetic chemicals in agriculture.

Perennial wall-rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) D.C.) is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Brassicaceae with a cosmopolitan distribution. Traditionally harvested as a spontaneous herb, today it is a crop species of increasing importance after the diffusion of the ready-to-use salads in the vegetable retail markets. Besides relevance as a food crop, its consumption is prompted by consideration in the traditional medicine of several peoples in the native areas of the Mediterranean and western Asia based on recognized health beneficial effects. In fact, the leaves have notable nutritional properties related to their contents of glucosinolates and some antioxidant compounds, such as vitamin C and flavonoids, which entitle their dietary inclusion for the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. This paper provides an overview on aspects concerning the biology, crop management, nutritional properties, industrial processing and uses of perennial wall-rocket.

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Artemisinin and its derivatives are well known antimalarial drugs, particularly useful after resistance to traditional antimalarial pharmaceuticals has started to occur in Plasmodium falciparum. In recent years, anticancer activity of artemisinin has been reported both in vitro and in vivo. Artemisinin has inhibitory effects on cancer cell growth and anti-angiogenetic activity. In the present investigation, we analyzed the inhibitory effects of artemisinin on migratory ability of melanoma cell lines (A375P and A375M, low and medium metastatic properties, respectively). We demonstrate that artemisinin induces cell growth arrest in A375M, and affects A375P cells viability with cytotoxic and growth inhibitory effects, while it was not effective in contrasting proliferation of other tumor cell lines (MCF7 and MKN). In addition, artemisinin affected the migratory ability of A375M cells by reducing metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) production and down-regulating alpha v beta 3 integrin expression. These findings introduce a potential of artemisinin as a chemotherapeutic agent in melanoma treatment.