LC-MS based identification of stylosin and tschimgine from fungal endophytes associated with Ferula ovina

OBJECTIVE(S): Ferula ovina is an Iranian medicinal plant. Tschimgine and stylosin are two of its major monoterpene derivatives. In this study, we proceeded to investigate some fungal endophytes from F. ovina that can produce plant secondary metabolites. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The isolated endophytic fungi were fermented in potato dextrose broth (PDB) medium and their extracts were screened for the presence of the plant compounds by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Endophytes identification was performed by morphological and molecular methods. Three markers (ITS, LSU, and TEF1) were used for accurate molecular identification. RESULTS: Forty isolates from 9 different genera of endophytic fungi were identified, of which two recently reported species of O. ferulica and Pithoascus persicus were able to produce tschimgine and stylosin. CONCLUSION: These fungi can be used as a substitute for the production of plant’s medicinal compounds independent of wild populations of the source plant.