Bioprospecting of non-mycorrhizal endophytic fungi associated with ferns and mosses

Endophytic fungi residing inside the host plant tissues may produce the same secondary metabolites as their host plants. They may have undergone coevolution and horizontal gene transfer with their host plants. Due to these processes, they may produce various kinds of chemical compounds that are important for new drugs. Scientists have successfully isolated endophytes from many higher plants. However, there are scarce reports on the biodiversity and potential of fungal endophytes associated with mosses and ferns. Mosses and ferns are highly diverse and found in all environments. They can also be used as traditional medicines. They produce some secondary metabolite compounds that have the potential for drug production. Thus, the lack of information on endophytic fungi associated with ferns and mosses opens up new opportunities for discovering new endophytic fungal species that have not been isolated. Also, this gap of knowledge provides an opportunity to obtain new types of chemical compounds from endophytic fungi associated with ferns and mosses that have essential potential. Therefore, we compile information on the various kinds of non-mycorrhizal endophytic fungi associated with ferns and mosses. The data used in this article are secondary and third-party data collected from some previous reports based on culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. This review article aims to provide information about the biodiversity and bioprospecting of endophytic fungi associated with ferns and mosses in exploring and developing further research of endophytic fungi to obtain new drugs and industrial enzymes.