Anti-multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and anti-dermatophyte activities of secondary metabolites of the endophytic fungus Penicillium brevicompactum ANT13 associated with the Algerian endemic plant Abies numidica

This study aims to identify and assess the antimicrobial activity of endophytic fungi found in the endemic plant Abies numidica. Among all isolates, the ANT13 isolate demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity in the preliminary screening, particularly Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Candida albicans ATCC 1024, with inhibition zones of 22 and 21.5 mm, respectively. Based on its morphological and molecular features, this isolate was identified as Penicillium brevicompactum. The maximum activity was observed in the ethyl acetate extract, followed by the dichloromethane extract; however, the n-hexane extract exhibited no activity. The ethyl acetate extract demonstrated very significant activity against the five strains of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus used, with average zones of inhibition ranging from 21 to 26 mm, in contrast to more resistant Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 49452 and Bacillus cereus ATCC 10876. The ethyl acetate extract was also very active against dermatophytes, where the zones of inhibition for Candida albicans, Microsporum canis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, and Epidermophyton floccosum were 23.5, 31, 43, 47, and 53.5 mm, respectively. The MIC values for dermatophytes ranged between 100 and 3200 µg/mL. The wild isolate of Penicillium brevicompactum ANT13 discovered as an endophyte in Abies numidica may be a distinctive source of novel compounds and drug discovery to trait dermatophytes and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections.