Mangrove forests represent a complex ecosystem inhabiting tropical and subtropical intertidal zones, harboring diverse microbial communities including fungi, actinomycetes, bacteria, cyanobacteria, algae, and protozoa. Among these communities, mangrove-derived fungi, as the second-largest ecological group of marine fungi, not only play essential roles in establishing and sustaining this biosphere but also serve as an important source of structurally unique and biologically active secondary metabolites. This review systematically summarizes research progress on metabolites isolated from mangrove-derived fungi and their associated bioactivities over the recent five years (2020–2025). Emphasis is placed on 457 metabolites documented in 97 selected publications, with a focus on the biological activities and distinctive chemical diversity of these secondary metabolites. This review provides an important reference for the research status of secondary metabolites isolated from mangrove-derived fungi and the lead compounds worthy of further development, and reveals that mangrove-derived fungi have important medicinal values and are worthy of further development.
Yu et al. (2025) studied this question.