A review of the pharmaceutical applications of endophytic fungal secondary metabolites

A major challenge to human health is the emergence of drug-resistant pathogenic strains of organisms. Studies have found ecologically friendly, cost-effective, and innocuous alternative sources of bioactive compounds capable of managing drug-resistant menace. This review x-rays the endophytic fungal community and the pharmaceutical applications of their secondary metabolites. Endophytic fungi house biologically active compounds, which makes them a good pharmaceutical alternative. Also, their intrinsic ability to produce such an avalanche of bioactive compounds could be attributed to their mutualistic interaction with the plant's host. Secondary metabolites harvested from endophytic fungi have been identified and categorised: steroids, xanthones, terpenoids, isocoumarins, phenols, tetralones, benzopyranones, and enniatrines. This review also highlights optimisation strategy, co-culture method, chemical epigenetic remodelling, and molecular method as approaches adopted to boost the production of bioactive compounds. The numerous applications of endophytic fungal secondary metabolites were equally presented, which include their bioactive properties, as well as their use in industries.