Marine endophytic fungi associated with Halopteris scoparia (Linnaeus) Sauvageau as producers of bioactive secondary metabolites with potential dermocosmetic application

PLoS One. 2021 May 13;16(5):e0250954. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250954. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Marine fungi and, particularly, endophytic species have been recognised as one of the most prolific sources of structurally new and diverse bioactive secondary metabolites with multiple biotechnological applications. Despite the increasing number of bioprospecting studies, very few have already evaluated the cosmeceutical potential of marine fungal compounds. Thus, this study focused on a frequent seaweed in the Portuguese coast, Halopteris scoparia, to identify the endophytic marine fungi associated with this host, and assess their ability to biosynthesise secondary metabolites with antioxidative, enzymatic inhibitory (hyaluronidase, collagenase, elastase and tyrosinase), anti-inflammatory, photoprotective, and antimicrobial (Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Malassezia furfur) activities. The results revealed eight fungal taxa included in the Ascomycota, and in the most representative taxonomic classes in marine ecosystems (Eurotiomycetes, Sordariomycetes and Dothideomycetes). These fungi were reported for the first time in Portugal and in association with H. scoparia, as far as it is known. The screening analyses showed that most of these endophytic fungi were producers of compounds with relevant biological activities, though those biosynthesised by Penicillium sect. Exilicaulis and Aspergillus chevalieri proved to be the most promising ones for being further exploited by dermocosmetic industry. The chemical analysis of the crude extract from an isolate of A. chevalieri revealed the presence of two bioactive compounds, echinulin and neoechinulin A, which might explain the high antioxidant and UV photoprotective capacities exhibited by the extract. These noteworthy results emphasised the importance of screening the secondary metabolites produced by these marine endophytic fungal strains for other potential bioactivities, and the relevance of investing more efforts in understanding the ecology of halo/osmotolerant fungi.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology
  • Ascomycota / enzymology
  • Ascomycota / isolation & purification
  • Ascomycota / metabolism*
  • Bioprospecting / methods
  • Ecosystem
  • Endophytes / enzymology
  • Endophytes / metabolism*
  • Fungi / isolation & purification
  • Fungi / metabolism
  • Fungi, Unclassified / isolation & purification
  • Fungi, Unclassified / metabolism
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Phaeophyceae / microbiology*
  • Portugal
  • Seaweed / microbiology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antifungal Agents

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the strategic project UID/04292/2020 granted to MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre and UIDP/Multi/04046/2020 and UIDB/04046/2020 granted to BioISI—BioSystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, through POINT4PAC project (Oncologia de Precisão: Terapias e Tecnologias Inovadoras, SAICTPAC/0019/2015-LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-016405), and through CROSS-ATLANTIC project (PTDC/BIA-OUT/29250/2017), co-financed by COMPETE (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029250). This work was also funded by the Integrated Programme of SR&TD Smart Valorization of Endogenous Marine Biological Resources Under a Changing Climate (Centro-01-0145-FEDER-000018), co-funded by Centro 2020 Programme, Portugal 2020, European Union, through the European Regional Development Fund. Moreover, Joana Silva was financially supported by a grant from FCT (SFRH/BD/103255/2014). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.