Endophyte microorganisms have great biotechnological interest, with features applicable to different areas and are potentially useful in agriculture. The current study determines the biotechnological potential of endophytic fungi, isolated from leaves of Sapindus saponaria, to control phytopathogenic fungi and evaluate their enzyme production. Molecular taxonomy was performed by sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 ribosomal DNA region, identifying the genera Phomopsis, Sordariomycetes, Diaporthe, and Colletotrichum. In vitro antagonism against phytopathogens showed better results against Fusarium solani and provided inhibition indices between 41.8 % and 67.5 %. The endophytic strain SS81 (Diaporthe citri) presented the highest antagonism index against the pathogen. Against Glomerella sp. and Moniliophthora perniciosa, inhibition rates ranged between 18.7 % and 57.4 % and between 38.3 % and 64.8 %, respectively. Enzyme assays revealed that strain SS65 (Diaporthe sp.) produced 1.16 UI µmol/min of amylase; strain SS77 (Diaporthe sp.) produced 2.74 UI µmol/min of pectinase, and strain SS08 (Diaporthe sp.) produced 1.51 UI µmol/min of cellulase. Thus, the current study shows evidence the importance of isolated endophytes with phytoprotective properties of plants with medicinal properties as alternatives for biological control and natural sources of products with biotechnological interest.

In the present study, the biological activity of an extract of the secondary metabolites (E-G6-32) produced by the Curvularia sp. G6-32 endophyte (isolated from the medicinal plant Sapindus saponaria L.) was investigated. The antioxidant potential was confirmed by the DPPH (22.5%) and ABTS (62.7%) assays, and the total phenolic compound content was 40 µg gallic acid equivalents/mg. The extract E-G6-32 displayed good inhibitory activity toward butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE; IC₅₀ = 110 ± 0.05 µg mL⁻¹). The extract E-G6-32 was subjected to spectroscopic and mass spectrometry analyses. Comparison with the literature data confirmed that (-)-asperpentyn (1) was a major component. Asperpentyn belongs to the epoxyquinone family, which has attractive structural complexity, diverse functional groups, and a broad range of biological activities, including specific enzyme inhibitory activity. Our results suggest that Curvularia sp. G6-32 is a promising source of bioactive secondary metabolites and contains (-)-asperpentyn, which has potential pharmaceutical interest.

Echeveria laui (Crassulaceae) is commonly commercialized due to its drought-tolerance capacity and to its rosette-shaped aesthetics. Since endophytes associated with plants from a dry or arid environment have scarcely been analyzed as yet, current research comprises the isolation of leaf endophytic bacteria from E. laui (one five-year-old and one two-year-old plants) investigating plant growth-promoting endophytic bacteria which may solubilize phosphate, fix nitrogen, produce exopolysaccharides/IAA and antagonize phytopathogens. Isolation by the maceration methodology provided a colonization rate of 1.98 x109 CFU g-1 for the two-year-old plant and 1.14 x 1010 CFU g-1 for the five-year-old one. All 40 isolates evaluated showed in vitro plant growth-promoting agent’s abilities, with emphasis on EG04, ELG18, and ELP06. The capacity of the three best bacterial isolates were evaluated under greenhouse conditions in common and black bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants. Based on the sequencing of the 16S rRNA region and phylogenetic analysis, the three endophytes were identified as Pantoea sp. (ELG04 and ELG18) and Erwinia sp. (ELP06). Under greenhouse conditions, statistically significant differences were found among the plants treated with the three endophytes when compared to control plants for fresh and dry shoot, root biomass and length.

The use of a variety of microorganisms for the degradation of chemicals is a green solution to the problem of environmental pollution. In this work, fungi–magnetic nanoparticles were studied as systems with the potential to be applied in environmental remediation and pest control in agriculture. High food demand puts significant pressure on increasing the use of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. The global problem of water pollution also demands new remediation solutions. As a sustainable alternative to commercial chemical products, nanobiocomposites were obtained from the interaction between the fungus M. anisopliae and two different types of magnetic nanoparticles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, optical and electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy were used to study the interaction between the fungus and nanoparticles, and the morphology of individual components and the final nanobiocomposites. Analyses show that the nanobiocomposites kept the same morphology as that of the fungus in natura. Magnetic measurements attest the magnetic properties of the nanobiocomposites. In summary, these nanobiocomposites possess both fungal and nanoparticle properties, i.e., nanobiocomposites were obtained with magnetic properties that provide a low-cost approach benefiting the environment (nanobiocomposites are retrievable) with more efficiency than that of the application of the fungus in natura.