Promising role of coprophilous fungi in mycoremediation

Abstract

Environmental pollution from recalcitrant pollutants is a growing global concern, and mycoremediation offers a promising, sustainable solution. This review introduces coprophilous fungi (CF) as a new area of potential. These saprophytic fungi, which grow on herbivore dung, primarily belong to the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, with some representatives from Mucoromycota and Kickxellomycota. Although their capacity to produce antimicrobial compounds has recently been highlighted, the recognized environmental importance of CF has traditionally been confined to the deterioration of plant residues. However, this review demonstrates that the remediation potential of these fungi is far broader. Herein, 16 fungal genera: Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Coniochaeta, Coprinus, Cyathus, Emericellopsis, Gymnoascus, Mucor, Panaeolus, Phycomyces, Pilobolus, Podospora, Saccobolus, Sordaria, Sphaerobolus, and Stropharia have been documented to possess potent abilities to degrade a wide range of persistent contaminants, including toxic metals, petrochemicals, polymers, pesticides, textile dyes, and explosives. Notably, three genera, Mucor, Coprinus, and Stropharia, exhibited a particularly wide remediation spectrum. This research suggests that the environmental significance of coprophilous fungi extends far beyond simple plant decomposition. Given their natural diversity and presence in dung, these fungi represent an invaluable, untapped resource for bioremediation, biocontrol, and biofertilizer applications. Therefore, further investigation into coprophilous fungi is recommended to fully explore their promising roles in both the environmental and agricultural sectors.