N. Priyanka and S. Uma Gowrie
Abstract
Plant derived compounds have a strong antagonistic activity on pathogenic microorganisms using tremendous natural bioactive compounds accumulated in different parts of plants. Limonoids are important group of metabolically altered triterpene in Meliaceae. Out of 300 limonoids known today, Melia azedarach (melianone, meliarachin, meliacine), Melia dubia (nimbin, meliacarpin) and Azadirachta indica (azadirachtin, nimbolide) contributes about one-third of limonoids. Endophytic fungi are plant symbionts that act as an elicitor for the production of secondary metabolites which serves as an excellent source of drugs for various ailments. It has a great potential to synthesize several novel bioactive compounds which paved a way for commercial exploitation of secondary metabolites for pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors. Many dominant endophytic fungi isolated from these plants includes Colletotrichum sp, Trichoderma sp, Penicillium citrinum, Fusarium solani, Aspergillus sp, Nigrospora sp and Alternaria sp which acts on human pathogenic microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Candida albicans common causative agents for Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) predominantly occurring in women. This review aims to delineate the overview on sources of limonoids present in the leaves and the endophytic fungi isolated from these leaves of Meliaceae. The isolated endophytic fungi from the leaves exhibited antagonistic activity on UTI causing pathogens which often leads to infertility among young women. Thus, the sources of limonoids and isolation of endophytic fungi can be enhanced by reinforcing the production of commercial bioactive secondary metabolites that can be substantially utilized by pharmaceutical and agricultural industries to safeguard human beings.