Antimicrobial metabolites produced by endophytic fungi associated with the leaves of Vochysia divergens

Abstract

Investigation of the endophytic fungi Nigrospora sphaerica, Nigrospora oryzae, and Pseudofusicoccum stromaticum MeOH fractions isolated from the leaves of Vochysia divergens, a medicinal species from the Brazilian Pantanal, led to the identification of five compounds, namely a new compound (1E,8Z)-10,11-dihydroxy-5,5,8-trimethyl-4-oxocycloundeca-1,8-diene-1-carbaldehyde (1) and four known compounds: 5-methylmellein (2), sclerone (3), daldinone A (4), and lasiodiplodin (5). All compounds were identified using spectroscopic methods, and 1 was corroborated with mass spectrometry, while the known compounds were compared with data in the literature. The relative configuration of compound 1 was determined based on theoretical conformational studies as well as the J experimental values between the hydroxymethyne hydrogens. The antimicrobial activity of the compounds was evaluated. Promising results were obtained for compounds 2, 4, and 5 since they inhibited the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen, suggesting the potential of these microorganisms as a source of new antibacterial agents.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Endophytic fungi
• Vochysia divergens
• antibacterial activity

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia under Grants INCT BioNat number 465637/2014-0 and INCT Áreas Úmidas number 421733/2017-9; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) under grants number 2014/50926-0 and 2017/06014-4. This research was also developed with the support of the Pro-Rectories of Research of the Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso – UFMT and Universidade Federal de Rondonópolis – UFR.