Fungi Bioactive Metabolites

This book presents the exploration and exploitation of various bioactive metabolites obtained from fungi isolated from diverse habitats for pharmaceutical applications. Various fungal sources have been brought under one umbrella ranging from endophytes, marine fungi, endolichenic fungi to fungi existing in the extremophilic conditions like desert and Antarctica and Artic environment. The book tries to cover maximally the range of the pharmaceutical applications wherein these bioactive agents from fungi have been exploited or are in the clinical pipelines and primarily include antibacterial, antifungal, antibiofilm, anticancer, antioxidant, autoimmunological, anti-inflammatory, and anti-thrombotic diseases. The book further emphasizes on the novel strategies to screen or enhance secondary metabolite production. Some other topics includes peptides, nonpeptides drugs, pigments, and enhancement of production of Echinocandin and Kojic acid. The role of bioinformatics in drug discovery and biotransformations have also been discussed. This book is going to be a comprehensive treatise and a valuable source for mycologists, biotechnologists, microbiologists, biotechnologists, and undertaking research in pharmaceutical sector as well as academia in setting up their research aspirations for using fungi in the process of drug discovery and development.

​Fungi produce many chemically diverse secondary metabolites whose biological roles largely remain elusive. Within the increasing number of sequenced fungal genomes several important genes involved in secondary metabolite formation have been identified. Most of these genes are clustered and their coordinated transcription is controlled in a complex way by both narrow pathway-specific regulators as well as broad global transcription factors responsive to environmental cues. In recent years it was discovered many of the newly identified gene clusters are silent under laboratory conditions suggesting that the biosynthetic potential of fungi is far from being exploited. Besides identifying novel bioactive metabolites from still unexplored sources, the activation of these gene clusters by several approaches may result in the discovery of new substances with antibiotic and pharmaceutical benefits. This book covers recent advances in the field of fungal secondary metabolisms ranging from methodologies to biological aspects and will include the latest knowledge on fungal molecular biology, genomics, and metabolomics. With the related volume by Professor Juan-Francisco Martin, where the most relevant and well-studied fungal secondary metabolites are compiled, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art of research on fungal secondary metabolites.

This volume describes the more relevant secondary metabolites of different fungi with current information on their biosynthesis and molecular genetics. Bolstered with color illustrations and photographs, the book describes the possible application of molecular genetics to directed strain improvement in great detail. The needs for future developments in this field are also discussed at length Written by authorities in the field, Biosynthesis and Molecular Genetics of Fungal Secondary Metabolites provides a cutting-edge perspective on fungal secondary metabolism and underlying genetics and is a valuable resource for scientists, researchers, and educators in the field of fungal biology.

Several excellent books have been published that address one or more aspects of the diverse field of industrial mycology, but none of them cover the entire process of fungal bioactive metabolites discovery. Until now. The Handbook of Industrial Mycology provides, in one volume, an overview of recent developments in industrial mycology with emphasis on the discovery of bioactive metabolites and, most importantly, their underlying biology and genetics. Two additional features distinguish this book from other books in the field: 1) most chapters are prepared using experimental data to illustrate theories and 2) the authors provide methodologies and experimental protocols in their chapters. Presenting a comprehensive overview of recent advances, the book provides a framework of basic methods, tools, and organizational principles for channeling fungal germplasm into the academic, pharmaceutical, and enzyme discovery laboratories. It covers the complex range of processes involved in the discovery, characterization, and profiling of bioactive fungal metabolites. The book includes examples of several recently marketed fungal metabolites and explores the impact of fungi on applications in the pharmaceutical, food and beverage, agricultural, and agrochemical industries.

The book deals with the application of fungi and the strategic management of some plant pathogens. It covers fungal bioactive metabolites, with emphasis on those secondary metabolites that are produced by various endophytes, their pharmaceutical and agricultural uses, regulation of the metabolites, mycotoxins, nutritional value of mushrooms, prospecting of thermophilic and wood-rotting fungi, and fungi as myconano factories. Strategies for the management of some plant pathogenic fungi of rice and soybean have also been dealt with. Updated information for all these aspects has been presented and discussed in different chapters.