Endophytic microbes from Nigerian ethnomedicinal plants: a potential source for bioactive secondary metabolites—a review

Ezeobiora, Chijioke E.; Igbokwe, Nwamaka H.; Amin, Dina H.; Mendie, Udoma E.

BACKGROUND: Endophytes are highly beneficial species of microbes that live in symbiosis with plant tissues in the setting. Endophytes are difficult to isolate in their natural environment, and they are understudied despite being a rich source of bioactive molecules. There are varieties of new infectious diseases emerging across the world, necessitating a constant and expanded search for newer and more efficient bioactive molecules. Nigeria is known for its biodiversity in ethnomedicinal plants, yet these plants are understudied for endophytic microbes harbouring novel bioactive molecules. MAIN BODY: Endophytes are a source of novel organic natural molecules and are thought to be drug discovery frontiers. Endophyte research has contributed to the discovery of possible anticancer agents following the discovery of taxol. Endophyte research has contributed to the discovery of possible drug compounds with antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, antidiabetic, anti-Alzheimers disease and immunosuppressive properties among others. These breakthroughs provide hope for combating incurable diseases, drug resistance, the emergence of new infectious diseases, and other human health issues. Finding new medicines that may be effective candidates for treating newly emerging diseases in humans has a lot of promise. Most studies have been on fungi endophytes, with just a few reports on bacterial endophytes. The biology of endophytic bacteria and fungi, as well as endophytic microbes isolated from Nigerian medicinal plants, their isolation methods, identification by morphological and molecular methods, fermentation, purification, identification of bioactive compounds and biosynthetic gene clusters are all covered in this study. CONCLUSION: In Nigeria, the sourcing and isolation of endophytes harboring biosynthetic gene clusters are still understudied, necessitating a rigorous quest for bioactive molecules in endophytes inhabiting various ethnomedicinal plants.