%0 Journal Article
%T The Use of Endophytes to Obtain Bioactive Compounds and Their Application in Biotransformation Process
%A Mariana Recco Pimentel
%A Gustavo Molina
%A Ana Paula Dion¨ªsio
%A M¨¢rio Roberto Mar¨®stica Junior
%A Gl¨¢ucia Maria Pastore
%J Biotechnology Research International
%D 2011
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.4061/2011/576286
%X Endophytes are microorganisms that reside asymptomatically in the tissues of higher plants and are a promising source of novel organic natural metabolites exhibiting a variety of biological activities. The laboratory of Bioaromas (Unicamp, Brazil) develops research in biotransformation processes and functional evaluation of natural products. With the intent to provide subsidies for studies on endophytic microbes related to areas cited before, this paper focuses particularly on the role of endophytes on the production of anticancer, antimicrobial, and antioxidant compounds and includes examples that illustrate their potential for human use. It also describes biotransformation as an auspicious method to obtain novel bioactive compounds from microbes. Biotransformation allows the production of regio- and stereoselective compounds under mild conditions that can be labeled as ¡°natural,¡± as discussed in this paper. 1. Introduction The term ¡°endophytes¡± includes a suite of microorganisms that grow intra-and/or intercelullarly in the tissues of higher plants without causing over symptoms on the plants in which they live, and have proven to be rich sources of bioactive natural products [1, 2]. Mutualism interaction between endophytes and host plants may result in fitness benefits for both partners [3]. The endophytes may provide protection and survival conditions to their host plant by producing a plethora of substances which, once isolated and characterized, may also have potential for use in industry, agriculture, and medicine [4, 5]. Approximately 300 000 plant species growing in unexplored area on the earth are host to one or more endophytes [6], and the presence of biodiverse endophytes in huge number plays an important role on ecosystems with greatest biodiversity, for instance, the tropical and temperate rainforests [5], which are extensively found in Brazil and possess almost 20% of its biotechnological source [7]. Considering that only a small amount of endophytes have been studied, recently, several research groups have been motivated to evaluate and elucidate the potential of these microorganisms applied on biotechnological processes focusing on the production of bioactive compounds. The production of bioactive substances by endophytes is directly related to the independent evolution of these microorganisms, which may have incorporated genetic information from higher plants, allowing them to better adapt to plant host and carry out some functions such as protection from pathogens, insects, and grazing animals [6]. Endophytes are chemical synthesizer
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/btri/2011/576286/