Fungal Bioactive Peptides: Rejuvenating the Era of Peptide-Based Therapy
Authors: Lokesh Gambhir 1 and Neha Kapoor 2, *
1 School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Shri Guru Ram Rai University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India;
2 School of Applied Sciences, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. *Corresponding author: n29.neha.kapur@gmail.com
Abstract
Fungi, which are recognized as the most complex group of microorganisms, are a treasure trove of bioactive compounds, contributing significantly to drug discovery initiatives. Bioactive peptides derived from fungi show great promise as therapeutic agents for combating the global burden of diseases, including infections, cancers, and inflammatory disorders. This review delves into the multifarious landscape of fungus-derived bioactive peptides, highlighting their advantages over conventional small molecule-based drug counterparts and rendering a rationale for their use in peptide-based therapies. The review comprehensively covers various bioactive peptides derived from a wide range of fungal species found in terrestrial and marine habitats, such as endophytic fungi in plant tissues, insects, sponges, and medicinal mushrooms. In addition, the review categorizes natural fungal peptides based on their structural features, including linear peptides, cyclic peptides based on amino acid chain length, cyclic depsipeptides, lipopeptides, and peptide antibiotics, demonstrating their unique biological activities and therapeutic index. Conclusively, an in-depth classification of fungal bioactive peptides, revealing the impact of conformational attributes shaped by amino acid differences and their link to bioactivity, paves the way for advances in peptide-based drug discovery, their rational modification, and therapeutic development.
Keywords: Antimicrobial, Bioactivity, Endophyte, Lipopeptide, Marine fungi, Therapeutics
Document Type: Review Article
Citation: Gambhir, L., & Kapoor, N. (2025). Fungal bioactive peptides: Rejuvenating the era of peptide-based therapy. Mycological Spectrum, 1(1):59-87.
Received: 21 May 2025 | Accepted: 28 June 2025 | Published: 30 June 2025
Handling Editor: Dr. Shilpa A. Verekar | Reviewers: Dr. Francisca Vicente, Dr. V. Sabareesh
Copyright: ©2025 Gambhir & Kapoor. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution, or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution, or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
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Email: mycologicalspectrum@gmail.com | e-ISSN: 3107-6203
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