Fumagillin, an antimicrobial compound isolated from jute endophytic fungi Aspergillus fumigatus MBL_F107

The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), presents a significant public health threat. This work investigates the identification and characterization of an antibacterial compound derived from Aspergillus fumigatus MBL_F107, an endophyte of jute. The aim was to extract, purify, and characterize the compound and evaluate its bioactivity against MRSA and other bacterial strains. The compound was extracted with ethyl acetate as the solvent and purified using RP-HPLC. Structural analysis was conducted utilizing FTIR, LC-ESI-MS, and NMR. FTIR revealed the existence of hydroxyl, ether, keto groups and ESI-MS showed the monoisotopic mass to be 458.2 Dalton. NMR analyses provided full structural assignment of the compound and revealed it to be the previously reported compound, fumagillin. Its bioactivity was checked at elevated temperature and diverse pH values. The mechanism of action was determined utilizing two component system of Bacillus subtilis 168 reporter strains in β-galactosidase assay. FE-SEM was employed to examine the deformation of target bacterial cells. Stability studies showed that it is active up to 100°C and at different pH ranges. Bactericidal experiments validated its efficacy in killing MRSA and other bacterial strains. It also inhibited fungal growth. The β-galactosidase experiment demonstrated that it inhibits protein synthesis, along with FE-SEM revealed considerable deformation of the bacterial cell. Here, we report fumagillin retains bioactivity at elevated temperature and diverse pH isolated from the jute endophyte Aspergillus fumigatus MBL_F107, which might show a promising opportunity for the development of new drug targeting multidrug-resistant bacteria.