Biotechnology and Bioinformatics (1+1)

5.1.3. Marine fungi

Although terrestrial fungi have represented a major biomedicinal resource (e.g., penicillin from Penicillium), studies to develop the biomedicinal potential of marine fungi were less.

· The isolation of a small lactone, leptosphaerin from Leptosphaeria oraemaris demonstrated that marine fungi may form important resource for unique metabolites.

· Later, the useful chemical, Gliovictin was isolated from marine fungus, Asteromyces cruciatus.

· Since then more than twenty useful bioactive compounds have been derived from marine fungi.