Work

Bioprospecting for Pigments Produced by Phytopathogenic Fungi with Antiproliferative Potential

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This work aimed to bioprospect the antiproliferative activity of 13 ethyl acetate extracts of pigmented strains of phytopathogenic fungi of the genera Epiccocum and Fusarium . The antiproliferative activity of extracts was tested against six solid tumor cell lines: A-549 (lung), HBL-100 (breast), HeLa (cervix), SW1573 (lung), T-47D (breast), and WiDr (colon). Ten extracts from strains of Epicoccum sorghinum (Sacc.) Aveskamp, Gruyter & Verkley, Epicoccum nigrum Link, Didymellaceae, Fusarium graminearum Schwab, and Fusarium sp., Nectriaceae, showed antiproliferative activity against at least one cell line, with GI 50 values ≤ 50 μg/ml. Three of them exhibited a strong antiproliferative activity (GI 50 < 2.5 μg/ml) against two cell lines. Furthermore, the extract of E . sorghinum showed a total growth inhibition (TGI) value < 5 μg/ml against the SW1573 and WiDr cell lines. The mycochemical study of this strain of E. sorghinum allowed the isolation and confirmation of the presence of the pigments altersolanol A and macrosporin, fungal metabolites previously reported with cytotoxic activity against cancer cells. While this work presents preliminary results related to the antiproliferative potential of pigment-producing phytopathogenic fungi, it fully opens the possibility of continuing to investigate these fungi as a source of substances with antiproliferative potential against cancer cell lines. Graphical Abstract

Source: Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia

DOI: 10.1007/s43450-026-00753-0