Contact-independent antagonistic activity of endophytic Diaporthe biconispora PBS24-3 against Penicillium spp.: dual culture, culture filtrate, metabolomics, and molecular network analysis.

Discovery of penicillic acid from mangrove endophytic fungi: anti-Vibrio screening and cell envelope disruption in V. parahaemolyticus

Mangrove endophytic fungi are recognized as prolific sources of structurally diverse and bioactive natural products. In this study, 19 cultivable endophytic fungal strains were isolated and taxonomically characterized from mangrove plant tissues collected at the Shankou Mangrove Nature Reserve (Guangxi, China). One isolate, Aspergillus sclerotiorum BM19, exhibited broad-spectrum inhibitory activity against multiple aquatic pathogenic Vibrio strains. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of its ethyl acetate crude extract led to the isolation of penicillic acid (1), whose structure was fully elucidated by 1D/2D NMR and HRESIMS. Penicillic acid showed potent anti Vibrio parahaemolyticus activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 6.25 μg/mL and displayed no obvious cytotoxicity toward human HaCaT keratinocytes. Growth curve assays revealed a concentration-dependent antibacterial effect: 0.5 × MIC delayed logarithmic growth, whereas 1 × and 2 × MIC completely suppressed bacterial proliferation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) visualized cellular distortion, compromised cell envelopes, and cytoplasmic leakage at MIC, with severe envelope disruption at 2 × MIC. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) combined with SYTO 9/PI double staining further confirmed the concentration-dependent impairment of cell envelope integrity, as evidenced by reduced green fluorescence (intact cells) and increased red fluorescence (damaged cells). Collectively, these findings indicate that penicillic acid inhibits V. parahaemolyticus and is associated with concentration-dependent impairment of cell-envelope integrity. Although penicillic acid is a known mycotoxin, its selective activity against pathogenic vibrios and low toxicity to human keratinocytes highlight its potential as a lead compound for aquaculture applications. Nevertheless, further systematic evaluation of in vivo efficacy and biosafety is required prior to translational development.

Isolation and in vitro Evaluation of Antagonistic Bacterial Endophytes from Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn. against Magnaporthe oryzae

Findings identify finger millet-associated endophytes, particularly isolate AN6, as promising candidates for the biological management of rice blast disease, and require further greenhouse and field evaluations to confirm their efficacy under natural conditions.

Six undescribed sesquiterpenoids from the endophytic fungus Irpex lacteus: Their antifungal and inhibitory activities against Setaria viridis.

Twelve sesquiterpenoids, comprising six new compounds (1-6) and six known compounds (7-12), were isolated from the endophytic fungus Irpex lacteus derived from Castanea mollissima Blume. Structural elucidation was achieved through a combination of spectroscopy, ECD calculations, and X-ray crystallography. These compounds exhibited diverse antifungal activities against Fusarium equiseti. Compound 7 displayed antifungal activity against F. equiseti with a MIC of 2 μg/mL, which was comparable to the positive control nystatin (1 μg/mL). Compared with all the tested compounds, compound 3 at 60 μg/mL exerted the strongest inhibitory effect on the shoot growth of Setaria viridis seedlings, with an inhibition rate of 82%. For the root growth of S. viridis seedlings, compound 9 at 30 μg/mL showed the highest inhibitory activity, reaching an inhibition rate of 94%. These findings highlight the metabolic diversity of I. lacteus and provide valuable insights into the development of antifungal agents against F. equiseti and herbicides against S. viridis.

Isolation and Characterization of Endophytic bacteria from Wedelia chinensis with Potent Biocontrol and Plant Growth-Promoting Activities

Among 14 endophytic isolates, Bacillus subtilis LS1-5 showed the strongest antifungal activity by dual culture assay, and exhibited a broad array of plant growth-promoting and environmental resilience traits.

Comparative Insights into Bacterial Endophytome and Antifungal Metabolites in Fusarium Wilt-Resistant and -Susceptible Banana Cultivars Unveil the Resistance Toward Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense

India contributes 26% of global banana production, yet cultivation is severely threatened by Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense, Foc), necessitating sustainable, eco-friendly management strategies. This study evaluated the biocontrol potential of endophytic bacteria isolated from Foc-resistant and -susceptible banana cultivars. Isolates from the pseudostem, corm, and root of the resistant cultivar showed significantly greater inhibitory activity than those from the susceptible cultivar, underscoring the role of host genotype in shaping functionally competent endophytic communities. Among all isolates, Bacillus sp. from the corm of cv. Rose (AB) showed the highest mycelial inhibition of Foc (70.37–76.54%) in vitro. GC-MS-based metabolite profiling revealed a chemically diverse array of secondary metabolites, fatty acid esters, steroids, terpenoids, siloxanes, and nitrogenous compounds. Corm-associated endophytes exhibited membrane-disruptive and cytotoxic activity, while root-associated endophytes contributed protective, defense-modulatory effects. Halomonas sp. RoRo2 and B. subtilis RoC1 showed the highest inhibition in both agar-well and in planta assays, with unsaturated fatty acids and organic acid derivatives implicated as key antifungal effectors acting through multiple biochemical pathways. These findings identify metabolically versatile endophytes as promising candidates for developing efficient, environmentally compatible bioinoculants as sustainable alternatives to chemical control of Fusarium wilt in banana.

Morpho-molecular approach reveals a myco-endophyte, Aspergillus novoparasiticus CBS126849 (MTCC-13997) from the roots of Capparis decidua with therapeutic and enzymatic potential