MARINE DRUGS · Published 2026-08-02 · DOI 10.3390/md24080267
İbrahim S. Uras, Pedro H. S. Candido, Catarina M. Luís, Vanda Marques, Cecília M. P. Rodrigues, Rita G. Sobral, Anelize Baurmeister, Belma Konuklugil, Susana P. Gaudêncio
Antarctic marine-derived fungi represent an underexplored reservoir of bioactive secondary metabolites shaped by extreme environmental pressures. In this study, nine fungal isolates obtained from Antarctic macroalgae, lichens, sponge tissue, and sediments were evaluated for their antimicrobial, anticancer, antibiofilm, and metabolomic profiles. Untargeted LC–MS/MS molecular networking (GNPS) revealed a chemically rich metabolome, dominated by alkaloids, followed by polyketides, meroterpenoids, and diketopiperazines, with <i>Penicillium crustosum</i> (A15A) emerging as a major biosynthetic contributor. The annotation of structurally diverse metabolites, including roquefortines, viridicatin derivatives, andrastins, and multiple diketopiperazines, highlights the metabolic plasticity of Antarctic fungi. Anticancer evaluation indicated cytotoxicity, with <i>Aspergillus awamori</i> (A30), <i>Alternaria malorum</i> (A36), and <i>Cladosporium malorum</i> (A38) displaying activity toward HCT 116 colorectal cancer cells at IC<sub>50</sub> ≥ 30 µg/mL. Extracts were screened against methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA, COL), methicillin-susceptible <i>S. aureus</i> (MSSA, NCTC8325 4), and <i>Escherichia coli</i> K12, revealing low to no activity against these pathogens. Six of the nine isolates exhibited strong antibiofilm activity without inhibiting planktonic bacterial growth, indicating selective biofilm inhibition against MSSA and meeting the criteria for clinical developmental “hits”. Biofilm inhibition ranged from 81.10% to 98.50%, with A15A showing the highest activity (98.50% at 250 µg/mL), followed by A36 (91.16% at 31.35 µg/mL). <i>Botrytis</i> sp. (A22A), <i>P. chrysogenum</i> (A7), <i>Ulocladium microsporum</i> (A24B), and A30 also demonstrated strong antibiofilm activity (81.10–85.89%). To our knowledge, this is the first report describing antibiofilm activity of Antarctic fungal extracts.
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Uras, İ., Candido, P., Luís, C., et al. (2026). Antarctic Marine-Derived Fungi: Metabolomic Signatures and Antibiofilm-Driven Anti-Infective Potential Against Drug Resistant Pathogens. MARINE DRUGS. https://doi.org/10.3390/md24080267