Endophytes Crop Productivity and Protection Volume 2 (Sustainable Development and Biodiversity)

production using endophytic fungusTaxomyces andreanae. Another important

drug for cancer is the alkaloid“Camptothecin”—a potent anticancer compound

found in the plantCamptotheca acuminataDecaisne (Nyssaceae) (Wall et al.

1966 ). Camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin are widely used as precursors in
the synthesis of topotecan, and irinotecan, which are clinically used as potent

anticancer drugs (Uma et al. 2008 ). An endophytic fungusFusarium solaniisolated

from the same plant produced Camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin when

cultivated in submerged cultures (Kusari et al. 2009 ). Subsequently, several

workers reported endophytic fungi which could produce Camptothecin and other

similar compounds (Puri 2005 ; Rehman et al. 2008 ).

Guo et al. ( 1998 ) reported thatAlternaria sp. isolated from the phloem of

Catharanthus roseushad the ability to produce well-known alkaloid, vinblastine

(Fig.10.4). Later, another endophytic fungus Fusarium oxysporum from the

phloem ofC. roseus isshown to produce vincristine (Zhang et al. 2000 ). In another

Table 10.4 Anticancer compounds from endophytes and respective host plant

Host plant Endophytic fungi Bioactive compound References

Taxus brevifolia Taxomyces andreanae Diterpenoid Strobel

( 1997 )

Torreya taxifolia Pestalotiopsis

microspora

Torreyanic acid Lee ( 1996 )

Catharanthus

roseus

Mycelia sterilia Vincristine Yang ( 1994 )

Plumeria acutifolia Colletotrichum

gloeosporioides

Taxol Nithya ( 2009 )

Spondias mombin Phomopsissp. Phomopsidin &

Phomopsichalasin

Kobayashi

( 1995 )

Rhizophora

annamalayana

Fusarium oxysporum Taxol Elavarasi

( 2012 )

Tinospora

cordifolia

Fusarium culmorum

SVJM072

Taxol Sonaimuthu

( 2010 )

Annova squamosa Penicilliumsp. Meleargine and

Chrysogine

Yunianto

( 2014 )

Tripterygium

wilfordii

Rhinocladiellasp. 22-oxa-(12)-

cytochalasins

Wagenaar

( 2000 )

Nothapodytes

foetida

Entrophospora

infrequens

Camptothecin Puri ( 2005 )

Podophyllum

hexandrum

Trametes hirsute Podophyllotoxin Puri ( 2006 )

Sequoia

semperivirens

Aspergillus parasiticus Sequoiatones C-F Stierle ( 2001 )

Nothapodytes

foetida

Phycomycetes Campthothecin Puri ( 2005 )

Adenophora

axilliflora

Chetomiumsp.IFB-

EO15

Chaetominine Rui ( 2006 )

10 Endophytes: Potential Source of Therapeutically... 227