The current status on secondary metabolites produced by plant pathogenic Colletotrichum species

The fungal genus Colletotrichum contains about 190 species, many of which are responsible for serious plant diseases including those of commercial crops. These species infect a wide range of crops in the tropical, sub-tropical and temperate regions of the world. The diseases caused by Colletotrichum species are known as “anthracnose diseases” and are characterized by sunken necrotic tissue in which masses of orange conidia are produced. A significant number of the metabolites of Colletotrichum species are known to contribute to their pathogenicity. These phytotoxic metabolites when applied to the leaves of their host plants, induced symptoms which were similar to those of the anthracnose caused by the fungus. These metabolites have been shown to play a significant role in the mechanism of infection and pathogenesis. This review deals with the structures and biological activity of the secondary metabolites which have been isolated from these economically important filamentous fungi. The literature up to July 2018 is reviewed and 160 references are cited.