title: Secondary metabolites of endophytic Xylaria species with potential applications in medicine and agriculture.
abstract: Fungal endophytes are important sources of bioactive secondary metabolites. The genus Xylaria Hill (ex Schrank, 1789, Xylariaceae) comprises various endophytic species associated to both vascular and non vascular plants. The secondary metabolites produced by Xylaria species include a variety of volatile and non-volatile compounds. Examples of the former are sesquiterpenoids, esters, and alcohols, among others; and of the latter we find terpenoids, cytochalasins, mellein, alkaloids, polyketides, and aromatic compounds. Some of these metabolites have shown potential activity as herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides; others possess antibacterial, antimalarial, and antifungal activities, or α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Thus metabolites from Xylaria are promising compounds for applications in agriculture for plague control as biopesticides, and biocontrol agents; and in medicine, for example as drugs for the treatment of infectious and non-infectious diseases. This review seeks to show the great value of the secondary metabolites of Xylaria, particularly in the agriculture and medicine fields.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química, Departamento de Productos Naturales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, 4510, Delegación Coyoacán, Mexico, Mexico. mmacias@iquimica.unam.mx.
authors.forename: Martha Lydia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Macías-Rubalcava
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química, Departamento de Productos Naturales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, 4510, Delegación Coyoacán, Mexico, Mexico.
authors.forename: Rosa Elvira
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Fernández
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D061046:Biological Control Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D060026:Endophytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D004952:Esters / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008511:Medicine; D064210:Secondary Metabolism; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D013098:Xylariales / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D061046:Biological Control Agents; D004952:Esters; D012717:Sesquiterpenes
keywords: Bioactive compounds; Drug and agrochemical application; Endophytic fungus; Secondary metabolites; Xylaria