Volatile hydrocarbons from endophytic fungi and their efficacy in fuel production and disease control

Abstract

Abstract Endophytic fungi are the microorganisms which asymptomatically colonize internal tissues of plant roots and shoots. Endophytes produce a broad spectrum of odorous compounds with different physicochemical and biological properties that make them useful in both industry and agriculture. Many endophytic fungi are known to produce a wide spectrum of volatile organic compounds with high densities, which include terpenes, flavonoids, alkaloids, quinines, cyclohexanes, and hydrocarbons. Many of these compounds showed anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-neoplastic, anti-leishmanial and anti-proliferative activities, cytotoxicity, and fuel production. In this review, the role of volatile compounds produced by fungal endophytes in fuel production and their potential application in biological control is discussed.

Keywords

• Endophytic fungi
• Biocontrol
• Biofuel
• Mycodiesel
• Volatile organic compounds