https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/s10189-026-00565-z
Research - Living Systems
Endophytic fungi of Aegle marmelos as a source of novel antibacterials and anti-SARS-CoV agents
1
Department of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to Be University), 133207, Mullana, Haryana, India
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to Be University), 133207, Mullana, Haryana, India
3
Department of Biotechnology, Gujarat Biotechnology University, 382355, GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
4
Department of Botany and Environment Studies, DAV University, 144012, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
5
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to Be University), 133207, Mullana, Haryana, India
6
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Arts, and Promising Centre for Sensors and Electronic Devices (PCSED), Najran University, Najran-11001, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
7
STEM Pioneers Training Lab, Najran University, Najran-11001, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
8
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, 43210, Columbus, OH, USA
9
Department of Materials Science, University of Patras, 26504, Patras, Greece
a
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b
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Received:
26
October
2025
Accepted:
3
February
2026
Published online:
11
March
2026
Abstract
Drug resistance in microorganisms is a growing global threat, highlighting the urgent need for novel therapeutic agents. This study evaluates the antibacterial and anti-SARS-CoV potential of fungal endophytes isolated from A. marmelos. Among 16 endophytes screened, the ethyl acetate extract of the #3 AMLBF strain (Fusarium vanettenii) exhibited the strongest antibacterial activity against several pathogens. This extract showed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.49 to 0.8 µg/ml. GC/MS analysis of the active extract identified 45 compounds. Furthermore, molecular docking against the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein revealed nine potential ligands, with Anthraergosta-5,7,9,22-tetren-3-ol p-chlorobenzoate showing the most potent binding affinity (− 10.2 kcal/mol), a value exceeding that of the standard chloroquine (− 6.5 kcal/mol). These results indicate that the organic extract from this fungal strain is a promising candidate for the discovery of new antimicrobial agents.
Soniya Goyal1 and Poonam Bansal1 have contributed equally and should be considered as first authors.
© The Author(s) 2026
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