Marine endophytic fungi associated with Halopteris scoparia (Linnaeus) Sauvageau as producers of bioactive secondary metabolites with potential dermocosmetic application

Abstract

Marine fungi and, particularly, endophytic species have been recognised as one of the most prolific sources of structurally new and diverse bioactive secondary metabolites with multiple biotechnological applications. Despite the increasing number of bioprospecting studies, very few have already evaluated the cosmeceutical potential of marine fungal compounds. Thus, this study focused on a frequent seaweed in the Portuguese coast, Halopteris scoparia, to identify the endophytic marine fungi associated with this host, and assess their ability to biosynthesise secondary metabolites with antioxidative, enzymatic inhibitory (hyaluronidase, collagenase, elastase and tyrosinase), anti-inflammatory, photoprotective, and antimicrobial (Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Malassezia furfur) activities. The results revealed eight fungal taxa included in the Ascomycota, and in the most representative taxonomic classes in marine ecosystems (Eurotiomycetes, Sordariomycetes and Dothideomycetes). These fungi were reported for the first time in Portugal and in association with H. scoparia, as far as it is known. The screening analyses showed that most of these endophytic fungi were producers of compounds with relevant biological activities, though those biosynthesised by Penicillium sect. Exilicaulis and Aspergillus chevalieri proved to be the most promising ones for being further exploited by dermocosmetic industry. The chemical analysis of the crude extract from an isolate of A. chevalieri revealed the presence of two bioactive compounds, echinulin and neoechinulin A, which might explain the high antioxidant and UV photoprotective capacities exhibited by the extract. These noteworthy results emphasised the importance of screening the secondary metabolites produced by these marine endophytic fungal strains for other potential bioactivities, and the relevance of investing more efforts in understanding the ecology of halo/osmotolerant fungi.

Diversity of Nigrospora ( Xylariales , Apiosporaceae ) Species Identified in Korean Macroalgae Including Five Unrecorded Species

“…Two Nigrospora species, N. oryzae and N. sphaerica , are frequently encountered. Nigrospora oryzae has been consistently reported from macroalgae [ 16 , 43 ] and was also commonly detected in this study on three islands and on three types of algae. However, Nigrospora sphaerica was not detected on marine macroalgae in this study, although it has been commonly reported in various marine environments [ 44 , 45 ].…”

Multigene phylogeny, bioactive properties, enzymatic and dye decolorization potential of selected marine fungi from brown algae and sponges of Mauritius

“…The solid media extract of Aspergillus chevalieri (F2-SF), showed higher antioxidant potential, as compared to the two other isolates. The seaweed endophyte A. chevalieri , obtained by Calado et al [ [52] , [60] ], also showed the highest antioxidant ability among all the tested extracts. It showed EC 50 of 35.5 μg/ml in the DPPH scavenging assay, TPC 402.9 ± 42.0 mg GA/g and FRAP 3256.1 ± 174.3 μM FeSO 4 /g.…”

Oxic and Anoxic Organic Polymer Degradation Potential of Endophytic Fungi From the Marine Macroalga, Ecklonia radiata

“…Endophytic fungi are a diverse group, inhabiting and degrading terrestrial ( Arnold, 2007 ; Kusari et al, 2012 ; Rana et al, 2019 ; Yan et al, 2019 ; Manganyi and Ateba, 2020 ) and marine vegetation ( Hamzah et al, 2018 ; Noorjahan et al, 2019 ; Teixeira et al, 2019 ; Parthasarathy et al, 2020 ; Calado et al, 2021 ), linking ecology to plant pathology ( Shipunov et al, 2008 ; Behie and Bidochka, 2014 ; Leach et al, 2017 ; Latz et al, 2018 ; Poveda et al, 2020 ), and evolution ( Miyauchi et al, 2020 ; Tiwari and Bae, 2020 ), as well as plant communication and nutrient distribution ( Kothe and Turnau, 2018 ; Sharifi and Ryu, 2021 ). Endophytic fungi live in symbiosis within the macroalgae, as in terrestrial vegetation ( Jia et al, 2016 ), or in marine vegetation ( Hamzah et al, 2018 ; Noorjahan et al, 2019 ; Calado et al, 2021 ) and are likely to regulate many biochemical pathways through their life cycle ( Navarro-Meléndez and Heil, 2014 ; Latz et al, 2018 ). Clearly, endophytic fungi are likely of considerable importance, potentially for OM degradation (macrophytes, or other vegetation sources) and C cycling in terrestrial and marine environments.…”