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Abstract
This study reports the isolation of two natural compounds, zearalenone and hyrtiosulawesine, from the endophytic fungus Penicillium chrysogenum isolate SR192 which is associated with the invasive plant species Solanum rostratum. In general, both isolated compounds exhibited a dose-dependent stimulatory effect on the growth of four weed species when concentrations ranging from 5 to 100 µg mL-1 were tested. However, suppressive effects were observed when the concentration was increased to 500 µg mL-1, suggesting a biphasic response. Our findings indicate that these compounds have the potential to be further investigated as environment-friendly plant growth regulatory agents.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Nigora Kuchkarova, Caixia Han, Zokir Toshmatov, Sandra Ozuzu, Asma Shah, Chi Zhang, Hua Shao

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References
- Anh, N. M., Minh, L. H., Linh, N. T., Dao, P. T., Quynh, D., Huong, D. T. M., Van Cuong, P., Huyen, V. T. T., Dat, T. T. H., 2024: Secondary metabolites from marine fungus Penicillium chrysogenum VH17 and their antimicrobial and cytotoxic potential. Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry 88(11), 1254–1260. https://doi.org/10.1093/bbb/zbae113
- Chen, J., Huo, L. N., Gao, Y., Zhang, Y. L., Chen, Y., 2022: Two new N-acetyl-glucosamine derivatives from the medical al-gae-derived endophytic fungus Penicillium chrysogenum. Natural Product Research. 36(15), 3988–3991. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2021.1889543
- Dwibedi, V., Saxena S., 2019: Diversity and phylogeny of resveratrol producing culturable endophytic fungi from Vitis species in India. 3 Biotech 9(5), 182. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-019-1712-x
- Harris, R. K., Becker, E. D., De Menezes, S. M. C., Goodfellow, R., Granger, P., 2001: NMR nomenclature. Nuclear spin properties and conventions for chemical shifts (IUPAC recommendations 2001). Pure and Applied Chemistry 73(11), 1795–1818. https://doi.org/10.1351/pac200173111795
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- Kuchkarova, N., Han, C., Toshmatov, Z., Chen, H., Shao, H., 2024b: Diversity of the fungal endophytes isolated from the invasive plant Solanum rostratum Dunal. Acta Botanica Croatica 83(1), 76–79. https://doi.org/10.37427/botcro-2024-001
- Kuchkarova, N., Lei, L., Luo S., Toshmatov, Z., Han, C. X., Zhou, S. X., Zhang, C., Shao, H., 2024a: Plant Growth Regulatory Activ-ity of Secondary Metabolites Produced by the Invasive Xanthium spinosum’s Endophytic Dematiopleospora sp. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 43(6), 2046–2057. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-024-11246-6
- Kuchkarova, N., Toshmatov, Z., Zhou, S. X., Han, C. X., Shao, H., 2020: Secondary metabolites with plant growth regulatory activity produced by the endophytic fungi Purpureocillium sp. of plant Solanum rostratum. Chemistry of Natural Com-pounds 56(4), 774–775. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10600-020-03147-3
- Lu, Y., Villegas-Moreno, J., Clark, B. R., 2024: Secondary metabolites from Penicillium chrysogenum WX6 and their chemotaxo-nomic significance. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 116,104858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2024.104858
- Rademacher, W., 2015: Plant growth regulators: backgrounds and uses in plant production. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 34(4), 845–872. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-015-95416.
- Rho, H., Hsieh, M., Kandel, S. L., Cantillo. J., Doty, S. L. Kim, S. H., 2018: Do endophytes promote growth of host plants under stress? A meta-analysis on plant stress mitigation by endophytes. Microbial Ecology 75, 407–418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-017-1054-3
- Ripa, F. A., Cao, W. D., Tong, S., Sun, J. G., 2019: Assessment of plant growth promoting and abiotic stress tolerance properties of wheat endophytic fungi. BioMed Research International 2019, 6105865. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/6105865
- Sauleau, P., Martin, M. T., Dau, M. E. T. H., Youssef, D. T. A., Bourguet-Kondracki, M. L., 2006: Hyrtiazepine, an aze-pino-indole-type alkaloid from the Red Sea marine sponge Hyrtios erectus. Journal of Natural Products 69(12), 1676–1679. https://doi.org/10.1021/np060132r
- Toshmatov, Z. O., Zhou, S. X., Kuchkarova, N. N., Bozorov, T. A., Zhang, C., Shao, H., 2024: Alkaloids of Solanum rostratum seeds and their role in plant growth regulation. South African Journal of Botany 175, 755–760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2024.11.007
- Yang, X., Khong, T. T., Chen, L., Choi, H. D., Kang, J. S., Son, B. W., 2008: 8'-hydroxyzearalanone and 2'-hydroxyzearalanol: Resorcyclic acid lactone derivatives from the marine-derived fungus Pencillium sp. Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 56(9), 1355–1356. https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.56.1355
References
Anh, N. M., Minh, L. H., Linh, N. T., Dao, P. T., Quynh, D., Huong, D. T. M., Van Cuong, P., Huyen, V. T. T., Dat, T. T. H., 2024: Secondary metabolites from marine fungus Penicillium chrysogenum VH17 and their antimicrobial and cytotoxic potential. Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry 88(11), 1254–1260. https://doi.org/10.1093/bbb/zbae113
Chen, J., Huo, L. N., Gao, Y., Zhang, Y. L., Chen, Y., 2022: Two new N-acetyl-glucosamine derivatives from the medical al-gae-derived endophytic fungus Penicillium chrysogenum. Natural Product Research. 36(15), 3988–3991. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2021.1889543
Dwibedi, V., Saxena S., 2019: Diversity and phylogeny of resveratrol producing culturable endophytic fungi from Vitis species in India. 3 Biotech 9(5), 182. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-019-1712-x
Harris, R. K., Becker, E. D., De Menezes, S. M. C., Goodfellow, R., Granger, P., 2001: NMR nomenclature. Nuclear spin properties and conventions for chemical shifts (IUPAC recommendations 2001). Pure and Applied Chemistry 73(11), 1795–1818. https://doi.org/10.1351/pac200173111795
Koul, M., Meena, S., Kumar, A., Sharma, P.R., Singamaneni, V., Riyaz, S., Hamid, A., Chaubey, A., Prabhakar, A., Gupta, P., 2016: Secondary metabolites from endophytic fungus Penicillium pinophilum induce ROS-mediated apoptosis through mi-tochondrial pathway in pancreatic cancer cells. Planta Med 82(4), 344–355. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0035-1558308
Kuchkarova, N., Han, C., Toshmatov, Z., Chen, H., Shao, H., 2024b: Diversity of the fungal endophytes isolated from the invasive plant Solanum rostratum Dunal. Acta Botanica Croatica 83(1), 76–79. https://doi.org/10.37427/botcro-2024-001
Kuchkarova, N., Lei, L., Luo S., Toshmatov, Z., Han, C. X., Zhou, S. X., Zhang, C., Shao, H., 2024a: Plant Growth Regulatory Activ-ity of Secondary Metabolites Produced by the Invasive Xanthium spinosum’s Endophytic Dematiopleospora sp. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 43(6), 2046–2057. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-024-11246-6
Kuchkarova, N., Toshmatov, Z., Zhou, S. X., Han, C. X., Shao, H., 2020: Secondary metabolites with plant growth regulatory activity produced by the endophytic fungi Purpureocillium sp. of plant Solanum rostratum. Chemistry of Natural Com-pounds 56(4), 774–775. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10600-020-03147-3
Lu, Y., Villegas-Moreno, J., Clark, B. R., 2024: Secondary metabolites from Penicillium chrysogenum WX6 and their chemotaxo-nomic significance. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 116,104858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2024.104858
Rademacher, W., 2015: Plant growth regulators: backgrounds and uses in plant production. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 34(4), 845–872. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-015-95416.
Rho, H., Hsieh, M., Kandel, S. L., Cantillo. J., Doty, S. L. Kim, S. H., 2018: Do endophytes promote growth of host plants under stress? A meta-analysis on plant stress mitigation by endophytes. Microbial Ecology 75, 407–418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-017-1054-3
Ripa, F. A., Cao, W. D., Tong, S., Sun, J. G., 2019: Assessment of plant growth promoting and abiotic stress tolerance properties of wheat endophytic fungi. BioMed Research International 2019, 6105865. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/6105865
Sauleau, P., Martin, M. T., Dau, M. E. T. H., Youssef, D. T. A., Bourguet-Kondracki, M. L., 2006: Hyrtiazepine, an aze-pino-indole-type alkaloid from the Red Sea marine sponge Hyrtios erectus. Journal of Natural Products 69(12), 1676–1679. https://doi.org/10.1021/np060132r
Toshmatov, Z. O., Zhou, S. X., Kuchkarova, N. N., Bozorov, T. A., Zhang, C., Shao, H., 2024: Alkaloids of Solanum rostratum seeds and their role in plant growth regulation. South African Journal of Botany 175, 755–760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2024.11.007
Yang, X., Khong, T. T., Chen, L., Choi, H. D., Kang, J. S., Son, B. W., 2008: 8'-hydroxyzearalanone and 2'-hydroxyzearalanol: Resorcyclic acid lactone derivatives from the marine-derived fungus Pencillium sp. Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 56(9), 1355–1356. https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.56.1355
