Cordyceps militaris, well known for its therapeutic potential in managing type-2 diabetes through the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes, was the central focus of this research, which investigated the influence of various cultivation substrates on its enzymatic inhibitory properties and bioactive compound content. Previous studies have primarily focused on the general pharmacological benefits of C. militaris but have not thoroughly explored how different substrates affect its bioactive profile and enzyme inhibitory activities. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of substrate selection on the enzyme inhibition activities and the levels of bioactive compounds such as cordycepin and adenosine in C. militaris, demonstrating that substrate selection markedly affects both these enzymes’ inhibition activities and bioactive compound levels. Particularly, C. militaris fruiting bodies grown on Brihaspa atrostigmella showed the highest concentrations of cordycepin (2.932 mg/g) and adenosine (1.062 mg/g). This substrate also exhibited the most potent α-glucosidase inhibition with an IC₅₀ value of 336.4 ± 16.0 µg/mL and the most effective α-amylase inhibition with an IC₅₀ value of 504.6 ± 4.2 µg/mL. Conversely, C. militaris cultivated on the solid residues of Gryllus bimaculatus displayed the strongest xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibition, with the lowest IC₅₀ value of 415.7 ± 11.2 µg/mL. These findings highlight the critical role of substrate choice in enhancing the medicinal properties of C. militaris, suggesting that optimized cultivation can enhance the bioactive properties for more effective natural therapies for diabetes and other metabolic disorders. This study not only extends the understanding of C. militaris’ pharmacological potential but also illustrates its applicability in developing customized treatment options.

Amentotaxus yunnanensis H.L.Li is a threatened conifer distributed only in China, Laos, and Vietnam, whose fungal endophytes have not been exploited yet. The aims of this study were to screen and characterize antioxidant metabolites from endophytic fungi obtained from A. yunnanensis. Using the surface sterilization method, sixteen endophytic fungi were isolated from A. yunnanensis and classified into seven genera including Fusarium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Diaporthe, Neopestalotiopsis, Purpureocillium, and Simplicillium through the analysis of Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) gene sequences. Among the ethyl acetate crude extracts, Fusarium foetens AQF6 contained the highest amount of polyphenol (117.76 ± 0.94 mg gallic acid equivalent/g) and flavonoid (169.01 ± 2.09 mg quercetin equivalent/g). Importantly, 400 µg/mL AQF6 extract exhibited 95.75 ± 1.1% and 85.66 ± 1.91% of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical-scavenging activities, respectively. Chemical investigation led to the isolation and identification of a new bisabolane-type sesquiterpene fusafoetriol (FUS) and 14 known compounds, among which six pure compounds showed free-radical scavenging activity against DPPH and hydroxyl radicals. Under H₂O₂ stress, the yeast model Saccharomyces cerevisiae treated with 4 mM FUS showed 43.31% increase in viability. FUS has the potential to be applied in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and food technological applications. Thus, this is the first report demonstrating the presence of endophytic fungi inhabiting A. yunnanensis and their potential as a prolific source of antioxidant metabolites.

Fungal endophytes colonizing plant tissues are considered a reservoir of secondary metabolites that exhibit diverse bioactivities applicable in biomedicine. This study aims to reveal for the first time endophytic fungi associated with Keteleeria evelyniana as a potential source of bioactive compounds. A total of 24 fungal endophytes were successfully isolated from K. evelyniana and classified into 10 genera: Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Xylaria, Talaromyces, Nodulisporium, Apiospora, Neopestalotiopsis, Diaporthe, and Hypoxylon. Screening for antimicrobial activity revealed that 8 out of 24 ethyl acetate extracts inhibited antimicrobial activity against at least one tested pathogen. Among them, Xylaria sp. KET18 showed the most potent antimicrobial activity with inhibition diameters ranging from 16.5 to 21.5 mm. In addition, the KET18 extract showed the most significant cytotoxic effects against A549 (IC₅₀ = 18.8 ± 3.1 µg/mL) and MCF7 cell lines (IC₅₀ = 24.1 ± 2.5 µg/mL). The KET18 extract showed moderate antioxidant activity against hydroxyl and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals. The chemical characterization and structural elucidation indicated the presence of four bioactive compounds that have not been found in fungi, including methyl pyroglutamate, prunetin, macrolactin A, and macrolactin F. These findings demonstrated that K. evelyniana is a host of endophytic fungi with antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant potential.

To date, bioleaching using bacterial consortia is widely regarded as an eco-friendly alternative to the traditional mining approaches due to its cost-effectiveness, feasibility, and sustainability. In the present study, for the first time, gold-bearing sulfide ore collected at Ta Nang mine, Vietnam was mineralogically characterized and subjected to bioleaching trial using indigenous bacterial consortia. The ore contains arsenopyrite, pyrite, galena, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite, of which the major metals were iron (4.78%), arsenic (1.73%), lead (0.43), and zinc (0.33%). After enrichment, a total of 19 ironand sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were isolated and classified into six distinct genera including three previously described Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Acidithiobacillus, and three firstly reported heterotrophic Glutamicibacter, Providencia, and Stenotrophomonas from gold ore origin. Moreover, an autotrophic Acidithiobacillus sp. TNG6.3, sharing a 16S rRNA sequence of 95.1% identity with the closest sequence of the type strain A. caldus KU, represented a novel candidate species. The establishment of bioleaching utilizing enriched bacteria from gold ore consequently led to the removal of Ag (99.1%), Zn (37.9%), As (37.0%), and Fe (32.2%) from ore after 21 days of treatment, respectively. The present findings highlighted the potential of acidophilic bacteria originated from gold ores for extending applications in bioleaching of metals in Vietnam.

Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) are regarded as some of the most versatile biocatalysts. They are attractive candidates for natural product development because of their ability to selectively oxidize a broad range of substrates. Streptomyces spp. are not only producers of biologically active secondary metabolites but also a rich source of P450 enzymes. However, only a limited number of studies have explored the function and potential of P450 enzymes encoded in the Streptomyces genomes. In this study, the endophytic Streptomyces cavourensis YBQ59 isolated from Cinnamomum cassia J. Presl was sequenced using the Illumina sequencing platform to identify its P450 enzymes. The genome of YBQ59 was approximately 8,126,002 bp in size, with a G + C content of 72.1% and contained 7,020 genes. Genome annotation identified 21 CYP genes, distributed across 10 CYP families and 17 subfamilies. The possible role of these P450 enzymes in the synthesis of secondary metabolites was discussed. Since CYPs often require electron transport proteins to function, we analyzed the physical map of the genes encoding ferredoxins and ferredoxin reductases found in the genome of S. cavourensis YBQ59. Additionally, a phylogenetic tree was constructed to compare the P450 enzyme system from S. cavourensis YBQ59 with those of closely related and well-studied Streptomyces species, including Streptomyces sp. CFMR7, S. fulvissimus DSM 40593, S. griseus IFO 13350, and S. globisporus 1912. These results provide a basis for exploiting potential P450 enzymes from S. cavourensis YBQ59 for agricultural and medicinal applications.

Probiotic microbial inoculants have been used to improve fermentation quality of green forage feed in pig farming This study aimed to formulate and evaluate effects of microbial inoculants on quality and digestibility of elephant grass-based silage. Green forage formula was made based on economical and agro ingredients resulting in 36% of cost reduction in comparison to the basal diet. The additive containing 1% microbial mixture of Lactobacillus plantarum LCN13, Bacillus velezensis VTX9 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae MCN9 as starter cultures significantly reduced crude fiber (12.39 ± 1.01% Dry Matter (DM)) and neutral detergent fiber concentrations (28.49 ± 0.93% DM) after 120 h (p < 0.05). In contrast, remarkable increases (p < 0.05) were determined in metabolizable energy (2972 ± 18.18% DM) and crude protein (16.32±1.15% DM). These results indicated that metabolic activities by microbial inoculants contributed considerably to the nutritive value of the elephant grass-based diet. The experiment along ensiling time revealed that significant changes in nutritive compositions were observed at 120 h and 168 h (p < 0.05). In support of these results, in vitro digestibility indexes including dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein showed an increasing trend corresponding to ensiling times. Since there were no significant differences between 120 h and 168 h, fermentation time of 120 h was sufficient to obtain desired outcomes. These findings emphasized that elephant grass-based forage fermented with microbial inoculant could be a promising cost-effective and high-quality feed for pig production. Further investigations are required to evaluate safety, growth performance, and pig intestinal microbiota.