Screening and selection of camptothecin producing endophytes from Nothapodytes nimmoniana.

Endophytic fungi with the ability to produce plant based secondary metabolites are a potential alternative for producing the host plant metabolite and to prevent natural plants from extinction. To isolate a high metabolite yielding endophytic strain from plants, hundreds of endophytic strains are screened and tested for product yield separately under axenic state, before shortlisting the potential endophyte, which involves huge time consumption. In this study, strategies for screening and selection of high camptothecin yielding endophytes from their natural habitat were proposed.

Sustainable production of camptothecin from an Alternaria sp. isolated from Nothapodytes nimmoniana.

Camptothecin the third most in demand alkaloid, is commercially extracted in India from the endangered plant, Nothapodytes nimmoniana. Endophytes, the microorganisms that reside within plants, are reported to have the ability to produce host-plant associated metabolites. Hence, our research aims to establish a sustainable and high camptothecin yielding endophyte, as an alternative source for commercial production of camptothecin.