Advances in bioactive natural products from desert microorganisms

Abstract:

Natural products with biological activity derived from microbes have been widely used in agriculture, health care, and other fields due to their diverse biological activities, being the main source of natural drug precursors. The discovery of novel active natural products has slowed down sharply since the 21st century, while the demand for active natural products is increasing. Therefore, it is urgent to develop new active natural products. The desert is the largest terrestrial ecosystem on Earth, with diurnal temperature variation, low water activity, nutrient scarcity, and high intensity of ultraviolet radiation and other abiotic factors. Accordingly, the microorganisms living in such environment have evolved special physiological and biochemical pathways to adapt to the environment, producing structurally novel active natural products. This paper reviews the research progress in the natural products with antimicrobial, anti-radiation, antioxidant, anti-tumor and anti-cancer activities from desert microorganisms in recent years, aiming to provide guidance for the development and application of such natural products.