Isolation and Identification of Vincristine and Vinblastine Producing Endophytic Fungi from Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don

Catharanthus roseus (Vinca) is a perennial herbaceous plant that is renowned for its abundance of vincristine (VCR) and vinblastine (VBL). These vinca alkaloids possess valuable anticancer properties and have been extensively used in chemotherapy treatment for various type of cancers. However, the current supply of these vinca alkaloids is reliant on plant material with low productivity and high costs. Endophytic fungi, a category of symbiotic mycota that are capable of synthesizing their host plant-specific bioactive compounds, have gained significant attention as a bioreactor for large-scale production of vinca alkaloids. In this study, a total of 34 endophytic fungal strains were isolated from stem and root tissues of C. roseus . The isolated endophytic fungi were taxonomically characterized as Alternaria sp., Talaromyces sp., and Cladosporium sp. by morphological observation and sequence analysis of the ITS region of rDNA. Three endophytic fungal strains were identified to be capable of synthesizing VCR and VBL by UPLC/MRM-MS analysis. The fungal strain Alternaria DC1 was determined to be the most prolific producer, producing VCR and VBL at concentrations of 177.6 and 114.8 µg/L, respectively. The Talaromyces DC2 strain followed with VCR and VBL yields of 44.0 and 111.6 µg/L, respectively. While the fungal strain Cladosporium DC3 was identified as a producer of VCR (36.9 µg/L) and VBL (99.6 µg/L) for the first time. These endophytic fungi exhibit the potential to serve as viable sources for the production of vinca alkaloids on a larger scale.