South African actinobacteria: a treasure trove of novel bioactive metabolites for drug discovery
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Date
2024
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Academy of Science of South Africa
Abstract
Although South Africa is known as one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, based on its unique plants and animals, microorganisms have received much less attention. Microorganisms in general and actinobacteria in particular are an underexplored source of new medicines. Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of diverse cultivable actinobacteria from various biomes. However, investigations of the natural product diversity associated with these microorganisms are lacking. We hereby present a review of natural products isolated from South African actinobacteria together with their biological activities. Many of these natural products are structurally novel and include compounds belonging to the following classes: anthraquinones, isoflavonoids, ketolides, macrolides, macrolactams, tripeptides and depsipeptides. They show a wide range of biological activities including antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxic and antitumour activities.
Description
Keywords
Actinomycetes, Biological activity, Filamentous bacteria, Microbial biodiversity, Natural products
Citation
Acquah, K.S., Gammon, D.W. and Beukes, D.R., 2024. South African actinobacteria: A treasure trove of novel bioactive metabolites for drug discovery. South African Journal of Science, 120(1-2), pp.1-11.