Rediscovering the chemistry of the <i>Cunninghamella</i> species: potential fungi for metabolites and enzymes of biological, industrial, and environmental values

Abstract

Endophytic fungi have a strong affinity for producing the same or comparable compounds to those produced by their hosts. Herein, genetic diversity and environmental adaptation of the <i>Cunninghamella</i> species were briefly investigated. The genetic flexibility in <i>Cunninghamella</i> represents an evolutionary mechanism that allows them to respond effectively to environmental changes. The current review paid much attention toward the phytochemical screening of <i>Cunninghamella</i> sp., revealing the presence of alkaloids, unsaturated sterols, fatty acids, polyphenols, and quinones. The intensive investigations clarified that <i>Cunninghamella</i> sp. are distinguished in producing several numbers of fatty acids, in particular polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), in large quantities compared to other metabolites. The study demonstrated the effective role of <i>Cunninghamella</i> sp. in forming several bioactive metabolites owing to cytochrome P450 (CYP) that confirm significant value of such species for potential media biotransformation. The comparative investigations revealed that the isolation of flavonoids is yet to be reported, while the number of elucidated alkaloids and steroids is still limited. In contrast, successful results in the biotransformation of these metabolites were verified and showed a high affinity to convert simple substances to more valuable agents by <i>Cunninghamella</i>. The biomedical applications of naturally occurring compounds isolated from <i>Cunninghamella</i> were well documented; these included their antimicrobial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-Alzheimer, and antiaging properties. The antimicrobial activity was mostly attributed to the fatty acid contents in <i>Cunninghamella</i> sp. Moreover, tremendous attention was paid towards the agricultural and industrial usage of chitosan as it is one of the most crucial metabolites involved in wide applications. Chitosan is involved in food preservation for extending life storage period and utilized as biofertilizer, which enhances bacterial disease resistance. In addition, <i>Cunninghamella</i> is considered an important enzyme reservoir. Various <i>Cunninghamella</i> sp. produce several important enzymes, such as lignin peroxidase, catalase, cellulase, xylanase, laccase, and CYPs, that can be used for remediation, fertilization, preservation and medicinal purposes. Hence, further in-depth investigations are highly recommended to explore new insights into this potential reservoir of a wide spectrum of chemicals for industrial, medicinal, agricultural, and environmental applications.