Fungi, a kingdom of eukaryotic organisms, comprise a fascinating and diverse group of life forms. They are distinct from plants, animals, and bacteria, forming their own unique biological kingdom. They can be found in virtually every ecosystem on Earth, playing crucial roles in nutrient cycling, decomposition, and symbiotic relationships with other organisms. Fungi have significant ecological and economic importance. As decomposers, they play a crucial role in breaking down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients, and contributing to soil fertility.
Also, they form mutualistic relationships with other organisms. For example, mycorrhizal fungi establish symbiotic associations with the roots of most plants, facilitating nutrient uptake. Additionally, fungi are used in various industries, such as food production (e.g., baking, brewing), pharmaceuticals (e.g., antibiotics), and biotechnology (e.g., enzyme production).
The fungal kingdom is incredibly diverse, with an estimated 2.2 to 3.8 million species on Earth. However, only a fraction of these species have been formally described and studied by scientists. The study of fungi, known as mycology, continues to uncover new species and shed light on their incredible diversity and ecological significance. Fungi's ability to thrive in diverse habitats and their unique biological features make them a captivating and essential group of organisms in our natural world.
Fungi are prolific producers of a wide range of natural products, including secondary metabolites or bioactive compounds. These fungal natural products have diverse chemical structures and serve various ecological functions, such as defence against predators, competition for resources, and communication between organisms. Many of these compounds also have significant applications in medicine, agriculture, and most importantly as drug leads in numerous pharmaceutical industries, including antibiotics (penicillin, cephalosporins, erythromycin, and tetracycline), antifungal agents including amphotericin B and griseofulvin, anticancer compounds (taxol, originally isolated from the bark of the Pacific yew tree but now also produced by fungi), vinblastine and camptothecin, immunosuppressants, including cyclosporine A, produced by the fungus Tolypocladium inflatum.
The objective of this Article Collection is to assemble a compilation of papers either research or review articles centred around pharmacologically active fungal natural products, with emphasis on discovery (isolation and structural characterization), biomedical valorization, biosynthesis, and chemical synthesis.
All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo desk assessment and peer-review as part of our standard editorial process. Guest Advisors will not be involved in peer-reviewing manuscripts unless they are an existing member of the Editorial Board.
Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.
The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 15 December 2023.
Please contact Ashley Ambros at [email protected] with any queries regarding this Article Collection.
Disclosure Statement: Dr. El-Demerdash declares no conflict of interest regarding this work.
