The current status on secondary metabolites produced by fungi of the genus Diplodia associated with plants

Abstract

Fungi of the genus Diplodia have a worldwide distribution and are typically associated with plants. Diplodia is well‐known for the diseases it causes on economically and ecologically relevant plants. In particular, this fungal genus is responsible of various symptoms of plant diseases, including shoot blights, dieback, cankers and fruit rots. In the last decades, literature concerning metabolites produced by Diplodia species has been significantly enriched by many reports dealing with the biosynthetic potential of this fungal genus. Several polyketide- and terpenoid-derived compounds have been reported, demonstrating the biosynthetic arsenal of this fungal genus. Investigations on the biological properties of compounds isolated from in vitro cultures of these fungi have proved a broad spectrum of biological functions. In particular, bioassays disclosed that antimicrobial and phytotoxic activities are the most notable bioactivities of secondary metabolites isolated from this genus. Hence, the present review is intended as reference guide to metabolites produced by fungi currently belong to the genus Diplodia, emphasizing the implication of their occurrence, absolute configuration determinations and the structure–activity relationships.