Metabolic divergence between island populations of the Canarian plant Bethencourtia palmensis and their endophytic fungi: a potential new source of biopesticides

This study explores the metabolic and biopesticide potential of endophytic culturable fungi isolated from two island populations of Bethencourtia palmensis (Tenerife, T, and La Palma, P), an endemic plant from the Canary Islands. The two populations showed distinct chemical profiles: 11β-acetoxy-5α-(angeloyloxy)silphinen-3-one and hexatriacontane were major components in T, while 5α-(angeloyloxy)silphinen-3-one, tetratriacontane and jacaranone were predominant in P. From PDA medium, 21 and 16 fungal isolates were obtained from T and P, respectively. Ethyl acetate extracts were tested against Myzus persicae , Meloidogyne javanica , Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium verticillioides . Among the isolates, 14% from T showed bioactivity and belonged to Aspergillus and Penicillium genera, while 81% from the P population were bioactive and belonged to Alternaria , Aureobasidium , Aspergillus , Penicillium , and Stemphylium . Additional isolation from P using YES medium yielded new isolates, with 65% being bioactive, including genera not recovered on PDA. GC/MS-based metabolite fingerprinting revealed distinctive patterns associated with specific genera. The results highlight significant differences in the plant chemistry and bioactive endophytes between two island populations of B. palmensis . Furthermore, these strains are a promising source of bioactive compounds. The diverse range of bioactivities observed suggests high potential for the discovery of novel biopesticides with applications in sustainable agriculture.