Newly isolated terpenoids (covering 2019–2024) from Aspergillus species and their potential for the discovery of novel antimicrobials

Abstract

The rapid emergence of drug-resistant microbial pathogens has posed challenges to global health in the twenty-first century. This development has significantly made most antibiotics ineffective in the treatment of infections they cause, resulting in increasing treatment costs and annual death rates. To address the challenge posed by these pathogens, we explore the potential of secondary metabolites from Aspergillus species as a source of new and effective therapeutic agents to treat drug-resistant infections. Terpenoids, a distinct group of natural products, are extensively distributed in plants and fungi, and have been attributed with significant antibacterial, anticancer, and antiviral activities. In this review, we present an overview of Aspergillus species, and review the novel terpenoids isolated from them from 2019 to April 2024, highlighting anti-infective activity against members of the ESKAPE pathogens. We further focus on the strategies through which the structural framework of these new terpenoids could be modified and/or optimized to feed a pipeline of new lead compounds targeting microbial pathogens. Overall, this review provides insight into the therapeutic applications of terpenoids sourced from Aspergillus species and the potential for the discovery of new compounds from these fungi to combat antimicrobial resistance.

Graphical Abstract