Photoprotective potential of metabolites isolated from algae-associated fungi Annulohypoxylon stygium.

Natural products, or secondary metabolites, obtained from fungal species associated with marine algae have been widely used in sunscreens due to their antioxidant activity and protective potential against solar radiation. The endophytic fungus isolated from Bostrychia radicans algae collected in the Rio Escuro mangrove, São Paulo State, Brazil, Annulohypoxylon stygium (Xylariaceae family) was studied to evaluate the photoprotective potential of its metabolites. The Annulohypoxylon genus can produce secondary metabolites with interesting cytotoxic, antibacterial and antioxidant properties and was never isolated before from a marine alga or had its metabolites studied for UV protection.