ABSTRACT
Fungal endophytes constitute an extraordinarily multifarious cluster of polyphyletic fungi pervasive in plants, and retain an indiscernible vibrant relationship with their associated host plants for at least a part of their life cycle. The potential of ‘novel’ endophytes capable of biosynthesizing bioactive natural products has undoubtedly been acknowledged. However, it is disappointing that there is still no known breakthrough in the commercial production of these bioactive secondary metabolites using endophytes. Thus, vigilant bio-prospecting strategies should be devised, in selecting the best possible plants thriving in propitious ecological niches, for isolating endophytes with potent pharmaceutical value. Cameroon (Africa) is such a largely unexplored biodiversity “hotspot”, where wild plants from ecologically distinct areas are intensively used by the local population in traditional medicine. Plants are a rich source of bioactive compounds and are vibrantly interacting with other organisms, including endophytes, for thriving in their distinct ‘natural’ ecological landscapes.
2In this chapter, we briefly highlight an interesting bio-prospecting strategy and provide a perspective of using the African traditional knowledge directed towards the study of plants and endophytic fungi harboring them in order to find new lead compounds with therapeutically relevant activities.
