Potential use of endophytes in the pharmaceutical industry

Abstract

Endophytes are microorganisms, usually fungi or bacteria less commonly algae and viruses, that live in plant tissues without causing disease symptoms in their host. It is estimated that there are over one million endophytic fungal species, but because of their habitat, they have been discovered relatively recently and therefore poorly studied. (Gupta, Chaturvedi, Kulkarni, & Van Staden, 2019) It is estimated that less than 1 % of all endophytic species are currently known. When observing the mutual relationships of plants with endophytes, most researchers take the view that such associations are commensal (Ayswaria, Vasu, & Krishna, 2020). Nowadays, endophytic microorganisms are considered to be a potential source of compounds - secondary metabolites. Endophyte bioactive compounds can be used in the pharmaceutical industry. Endophytes are mainly used in the production of antibiotics, antioxidants, various enzymes, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiparasitics and antifungal drugs, immunosuppressors, and also as anticancer agents. The interest in biotechnology is great, as the application of secondary metabolites of endophytes is possible in the cosmetic industry, agricultural complex, textile production, and food industry besides pharmaceuticals. The relevance of this topic and its further research on the use of already available and the discovery of new bioactive components of endophytic microorganisms can help scientists in resolving the problems of resistance of some pathogenic strains to modern approaches in antibiotic therapy. The potential uses are great, as endophytes can be extracted from numerous plants worldwide. The properties and characteristics of extracted endophytes will vary due to their geographical location and environmental conditions. Besides the wide variety of endophytic microorganisms for production, an important factor is the ability to use the same fungus, bacterium, or algae to synthesize a significant number of different active compounds. These compounds are interesting because they can manifest their action in several directions. In this article we considered several options for classifying endophytic microorganisms, listed the possible applications in the pharmaceutical industry, also considered the most used bioactive compounds from the Streptomyces genus actinobacteria, in addition, we reviewed substances with anti-tumor activity, which are now used to treat cancer of various human organs and are available as drugs for preparing injection solutions, metabolites of endophytes equally found their application. The aim of this work was to describe the modern classification of endophytes and show their potential use in antibiotic drugs as active agents in cancer treatment and their use as sedative drugs.