As a result of the capability of fungi to respond to culture conditions, we aimed to explore and compare the antibacterial activity and chemical diversity of two endophytic fungi isolated from Hyptis dilatata and cultured under different conditions by the addition of chemical elicitors, changes in the pH, and different incubation temperatures. Seventeen extracts were obtained from both Pestalotiopsis mangiferae (man-1 to man-17) and Pestalotiopsis microspora (mic-1 to mic-17) and were tested against a panel of pathogenic bacteria. Seven extracts from P. mangiferae and four extracts from P. microspora showed antibacterial activity; while some of these extracts displayed a high-level of selectivity and a broad-spectrum of activity, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most inhibited microorganism and was selected to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). The MIC was determined for extracts man-6 (0.11 μg/mL) and mic-9 (0.56 μg/mL). Three active extracts obtained from P. mangiferae were analyzed by Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization-Quadrupole-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry (LC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS) to explore the chemical diversity and the variations in the composition. This allows us to propose structures for some of the determined molecular formulas, including the previously reported mangiferaelactone (1), an antibacterial compound.
Keywords: Endophytic fungi; Hyptis dilatata; LC–ESI–Q–TOF–MS; Pestalotiopsis mangiferae; Pestalotiopsis microspora; antibacterial activity; chemical elicitors.