Report on Vincristine-Producing Endophytic Fungus from Leaves of

Vincristine is an anti-cancer compound and one of the most crucial vinca alkaloids produced by the medicinal plant (L.) G. Don. (Apocynaceae). This plant is home to hundreds of endophytic microbes, which produce a variety of bioactive secondary metabolites that are known for their medicinal properties. In this study, we focused on isolating an endophytic fungus that could increase the yield of vincristine under laboratory conditions as an alternative to plant-mediated extraction of vincristine. The endophytic fungus (Apiosporaceae) was isolated from and it was found to be producing the anticancer compound vincristine. It was identified using high-performance thin-layer chromatography by matching the Rf value and spectral data with the vincristine standard and mass spectrometry data and the reference molecule from the PubChem database. The generation study of this microbe showed that the production of vincristine in the parent fungus was at its maximum, i.e., 5.344 µg/mL, while it was slightly reduced in subsequent generations. A colonization study was also performed and it showed that the fungus was able to re-infect the plant after 20 days of inoculation. The colonization study showed that could infect the plant after isolation. This method is an efficient and easy way to obtain a high yield of vincristine, as compared to plant-mediated production.