Endophytes of the Tropics-Diversity, Ubiquity and Applications

Contents 
Foreword ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgment xiii
Author xv
Introduction xvii
1 Endophytes in the Tropics 1
1.1 Diversity and Ubiquity 1
1.2 Endophytes and Their Tropical Host Plants 4
1.3 Factors Driving Endophyte Communities in the Tropics 14
1.4 Spread of Tropical Endophytes and Their Endophyte-Host
Plant Association 15
1.5 Endophyte Research in the Tropics 18
2 Applications of Endophytes from the Tropics 21
2.1 Introduction 21
2.2 Tropical Endophytes for Agriculture 22
2.3 Tropical Endophytes for Biomedicine and Biosynthesis
of Valuable Compounds 28
2.3.1 Antimicrobial Compounds 28
2.3.2 Anticancer Compounds 30
2.3.3 Functional Polysaccharides 36
2.3.4 Other Valuable Compounds/Metabolites 36
2.3.5 Biotransformation of Valuable Compounds 39
2.3.6 Biosynthesis of Nanoparticles by Tropical
Endophytes 42
2.4 Tropical Endophytes for Industrial Use 43
2.4.1 Enzymes from Tropical Endophytes 43
2.4.2 Pigments (or Colorants) from Tropical Endophytes 45
2.5 Tropical Endophytes for Bioenergy and Biocatalysis 48
2.6 Tropical Endophytes for Bioremediation 49
2.6.1 Metal Bioremediation 49
2.6.2 Hydrocarbon Bioremediation 54
2.6.3 Other Xenobiotic Pollutants 55
3 Valuable Endophytic Species from the Tropics 57
3.1 Endophytic Actinobacteria 57
3.2 Diaporthe and Phomopsis Species 58
3.3 Lasiodiplodia Species 59
3.4 Muscodor Species 60
3.5 Trichoderma Species 60
3.6 Xylaria Species 61
4 Commercialization of Endophytes from the Tropics 63
4.1 Introduction 63
5 Challenges in Endophytic Research in the Tropics 65
5.1 Challenges and Limitations 65
5.2 Remedial Strategies to Challenges 67
6 Conclusions 71
References 73
Index 105