Aspergillus Niger: A hundred years of contribution to the natural products chemistry

Abstract

Aspergillus Niger is a phytopathogenic fungus responsible for the plant disease called "black mold", and it is considered the most versatile microorganism for producing acids, proteins, and enzymes of industrial value, besides a variety of compounds of pharmacological interest. This review presents a century of contribution of A. Niger in the natural products chemistry under two different perspectives: (i) an overview of the structural diversity of secondary metabolites produced by A. Niger from different habitats and their biological activities; (ii) a general discussion of the enzymatic potential of A. Niger on the selective biotransformation of terpenes, highlighting the most uncommon microbial transformations.