Diversity of Endophytic Fungi Associated with Medicinal Plants of Uzbekistan and their Biological Properties

Medicinal plants are rich in a wide variety of secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds, and are widely used to treat diverse ailments and diseases. Over the past few decades, endophytes have attracted much attention as an essential and new source of bioactive natural products for potential applications in medicine. Uzbekistan is rich in endemism, and one thousand one hundred fifty-four plant species growing on the territory of Uzbekistan have medicinal properties. The fungal endophytes associated with medicinal plants are diverse and include 20 genera and 41 species, whereas Aspergillus, Penicillium, Acremonium, Alternaria, and Fusarium sp. were dominant. The endophytes have been shown to have antimicrobial activity against common human pathogenic microbes belonging to Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Candida albicans. They may potentially control human pathogenic microbes, thus considered a source for the production of new antimicrobials. That is the first review on endophytic fungi' diversity and bioactive properties from plants growing in Uzbekistan.