AMB Volume 42, Issue 2, 2026 Pages 188-195 https://doi.org/10.59393/amb26420203
Bioactive Secondary Metabolites from Antarctic Fungi: Antitumor and Anti-Inflammatory Potential
Hubenov V., Angelova M., Spasova B., Yovchevska L., Abrashev R., Dishliyska V., Miteva-Staleva J.
Antarctic fungi represent an important subject of ecosystem research and a promising source of structurally diverse secondary metabolites with potential biomedical applications. Adaptation to extreme environmental conditions, including low temperatures, high ultraviolet radiation, oxidative stress, salinity fluctuations, and limited nutrient availability, stimulates the biosynthesis of unique bioactive compounds that are rarely encountered in microorganisms from temperate environments. This mini-review summarizes current knowledge regarding the major classes of metabolites produced by Antarctic fungi, including polyphenols, flavonoids, organic acids, terpenoids, peptides, and alkaloids, with particular emphasis on their antitumor and anti-inflammatory potential. Recent studies have demonstrated that these compounds exhibit diverse biological activities, including antioxidant effects, modulation of oxidative stress responses, induction of apoptosis, cell-cycle arrest, mitochondrial dysfunction, and regulation of signaling pathways associated with tumor progression and inflammation, including NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, and MAPK pathways. Several metabolites isolated from Antarctic fungi have also demonstrated selective cytotoxicity against various tumor cell lines, as well as promising antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Advances in metabolomics, genomic analysis, and bioinformatics have further expanded the possibilities for the discovery of novel fungal metabolites through activation of silent biosynthetic gene clusters. Although most currently available data remain limited to in vitro and early preclinical studies, Antarctic fungi remain an insufficiently explored yet highly promising source of natural compounds with potential applications in pharmaceuticals and modern oncology.
Keywords: Antarctic fungi, anti-inflammatory activity, polyphenols, terpenoids, alkaloids, peptides, oxidative stress, fungal metabolites
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