Plant endophytic fungi spend all or part of their lives inside host tissues without causing disease symptoms. They can colonize the plant to protect against predators, pathogens and abiotic stresses generated by drought, salinity, high concentrations of heavy metals, UV radiation and temperature fluctuations. They can also promote plant growth through the biosynthesis of phytohormones and nutrient acquisition. In recent years, the study of endophytic fungi for biological control of plant diseases and pests has been intensified to try to reduce the ecological and public health impacts due the use of chemicals and the emergence of fungicide resistance. In this review, we examine 185 patents related to endophytic fungi (from January 1988 to December 2019) and discuss their applicability for abiotic stress tolerance and growth promotion of plants, as agents for biocontrol of herbivores and plant pathogens and bio- and phytoremediation applications.
Keywords: abiotic stress tolerance; biocontrol; bioremediation; endophytic fungi; patent; phytoremediation.