Jul 2026· International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology· Vol 13, pp. 01-16· 0 citations
TL;DR
This review draws attention to the potential of phytochemicals as naturally occurring substances with antifungal properties as environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives for crops, demonstrating their ability to reduce the effect of fungal disease and encourage sustainable food production.
Abstract
The global crop production & food security faces major threat from economic loss and food risk. This review navigates the labyrinthine diversity of fungal world, their different way of nutrition, categorization of phytopathogenic fungi & the insidious mechanisms of pathogenicity that enable their successful parasitism which compromise plant health. Interaction between phytopathogenic fungi & host is dynamic where fungal virulence driven by the production of diverse toxins. The significant impact of disease on yield of crops, associated with the production of toxins. Additionally, developing challenges of fungal resistance to antifungal agent demands for the development of novel regulatory approaches. This review draws attention to the potential of phytochemicals as naturally occurring substances with antifungal properties. Plants, across a broad spectrum of taxonomic groups contain abundant bioactive compounds that effectively inhibit the growth of fungi. Use of these natural compounds as environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives for crops, demonstrating their ability to reduce the effect of fungal disease and encourage sustainable food production.
This review synthesizes current knowledge on the structural classes of plant-derived compounds and critically evaluates their applications as biocontrol agents against bacterial phytopathogens, highlighting their potential integration into sustainable resilience and global food security.
Adyasha Anapurba Sahoo, Sangeeta Raut, Aswinee Kumar Panda et al.· Journal of Crop Health· 0 citations
This review summarizes current knowledge on direct mechanisms of actinobacteria and their metabolites, aiming to support the future application of actinobacteria and their metabolites as part of biological plant disease management strategies.
András Sáhó, E. Lakatos, Babett Greff· Agriculture· 0 citations
Filamentous fungi of the genus Trichoderma, commonly found in the rhizosphere, are a prevalent component of various soil ecosystem mycobiomes and are known for their ability to colonize plant roots. Understanding Trichoderma's characteristics, including its metabolic activity and interactions with plants and other microorganisms, is crucial for its effective application in agriculture. Interest in Trichoderma is growing due to its direct and indirect biocontrol capabilities against a wide spectrum of soil-borne phytopathogens. These fungi employ a range of complex mechanisms, such as mycoparasitism, degradation of pathogen cell walls, competition for nutrients and space, and activation of plant defence responses. Given the continuous threat posed to plants by various pathogens, particularly filamentous fungi, and the increasing resistance of these pathogens to chemical pesticides, there is a pressing need to develop alternative biological protection strategies. Among non-pathogenic microorganisms, Trichoderma stands out as a promising candidate for sustainable agricultural practices due to its extensive biofertilization and bio stimulatory properties. Most Trichoderma species function as plant growth-promoting fungi, capable of producing phytohormones and the enzyme 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase. This review consolidates current knowledge on the role of Trichoderma, emphasizing its significance in promoting plant growth and its effectiveness in the biocontrol of fungal phytopathogens.
S. Rana, V. Saini, Zehra Husaini et al.· Progressive Agriculture· 0 citations
Among the various phytopathogenic factors affecting plants in their surroundings, fungal pathogens are the worst because they are responsible for the highest number of disease incidences in plants. Almost 8000 phytopathogenic fungal species are known that adversely affect plant metabolism. Due to infection, plants perceive the stress stimulus employing microbe- or damaged-plant-derived molecules, known as elicitors, produced by pathogen attack. After this perception, plants initiate a defensive response against the pathogen by upregulating the synthesis and accumulation of small antimicrobial compounds. To synthesize these compounds, plant must transform their metabolic activities from growth and reproduction to resistance, adaptation and tolerance. This review critically examines the protective strategies employed by plants in response to fungal infection, with a particular focus on the synthesis and accumulation of antimicrobial compounds, such as secondary metabolites (phenols, terpenoids, and alkaloids), pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins (chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase), defence-related phytohormones and enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. A comprehensive understanding of these metabolites provides plant breeders with valuable insight to identify and select traits linked with enhanced resistance in crop plants. By integrating and upregulating genes engaged in the biogenesis and accumulation of these metabolites, breeders can develop crop varieties with better resilience against fungal pathogens. Such improvements not only lessen dependence on chemical pesticides but also pave the way towards sustainable and ecologically responsible agricultural practices.
An illustration features a host plant being attacked by pathogens. A cross-section details the plant cell and plant tissue leading to the nucleus, which branches into five defense responses. On the right, several plant breeding techniques are listed.
The alarming rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has emerged as a major global health concern, intensifying the urgent need for novel bioactive compounds from natural sources. In recent years, scientific interest in endophytic fungi, which reside asymptomatically within plant tissues, has grown substantially. These microorganisms have demonstrated the capacity to produce a diverse range of bioactive secondary metabolites, exhibiting anticancer, antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. The metabolites exhibit antibacterial activity by disrupting membranes and interfering with essential cellular processes like protein and nucleic acid synthesis. Such compounds hold immense promise for both drug discovery and the development of agricultural biocontrol agents. The role of fungal endophytes in pharmaceutical innovation is becoming increasingly apparent. The unique microenvironment within plant hosts, coupled with the genetic diversity of endophytic fungi, fosters the biosynthesis of structurally novel and biologically potent molecules. However, harnessing this potential is not without challenges. Difficulties in isolating, culturing and characterising endophytic fungi and their metabolites continue to impede progress. Artificial intelligence, omics technologies, and metabolic engineering could be integrated into future research to improve the sustainable production and therapeutic utilisation of endophytic fungal metabolites. This review highlights recent advances in the discovery and characterisation of novel compounds from endophytic fungi, while also addressing ongoing challenges in understanding endophyte biology and optimising metabolite production.
Anjitha Suman, S. Sugathan· Trends in Current Biology· 0 citations
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to threaten the effectiveness of existing therapies, driving the urgent search for novel therapeutic leads from nature. Rubiaceae plant-associated endophytic fungi are increasingly recognized as valuable producers of structurally diverse secondary metabolites with antibacterial, antifungal, and antimycobacterial activities. Unlike previous reviews that primarily focus on bioactive compounds, this narrative-critical review integrates ecological factors influencing endophytic diversity with advanced strategies to awaken cryptic biosynthetic pathways. We systematically evaluate approaches including One Strain-Many Compounds (OSMAC), co-culture, chemical and epigenetic elicitation, genome-guided discovery, and heterologous expression. Furthermore, this review critically analyzes pharmacological metrics, specifically minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), cytotoxicity, Selectivity Index (SI), mechanisms of action, and the potential of fungal metabolites as antibiotic adjuvants. Current evidence suggests that the clinical development of these natural products is constrained by methodological inconsistencies, a lack of animal model testing, insufficient pharmacokinetic profiling, and large-scale manufacturing hurdles. Future progress in drug discovery will heavily depend on adopting standardized evaluation criteria and comprehensive pharmacological screening to successfully transform these endophytic metabolites into viable clinical candidates.
Inherni Marti Abna, M. S. Wibowo, I. Fidrianny et al.· Sains Malaysiana· 0 citations
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