ISOLATION, IDENTIFICATION AND BIOACTIVITY SCREENING OF TURKISH MARINE-DERIVED FUNGI

Marine-derived fungi are considered as a promising source for discovering new secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical potential. In this study, 18 marine-derived fungi were isolated and identified from marine invertebrates and investigated with regard to their antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. DPPH, SO, NO and ABTS assays were used for monitoring free radical scavenging activity, and MTT assay was used for cytotoxic activity. For antimicrobial activity determination minimum inhibitory concentration was calculated. As a result, six Penicillium, five Aspergillus, one Alternaria, Cladosporium, Malassezia, Mycosphaerella, Sporobolomyces, Talaromyces and Trichoderma species were isolated from the marine invertebrate. Some of these fungal extracts such as Aspergillus chevalieri has shown high antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, further Aspergillus awamori, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium brevicompactum have shown significant cytotoxic activity against HCT-116 cells. This was the first study about habitant of marine-derived fungi of Turkey's coasts and their antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity activities. Besides, it is also the first report about the antioxidant and cytotoxicity activities of C. funiculosum, A. awamori and P. crustosum. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of P. rubens were reported for the first time in this study.