LAUSR

Epicoccum is a genus of ubiquitous fungi typically found in air, soil, water, stone, decaying vegetation, and plant tissues. Epicoccum spp. are known as biocontrol agents against phytopathogens; also the ability of this fungus to produce many secondary metabolites makes it important in biotechnological applications, including biotransformation of compounds such as the drug diclofenac, ketones, and ionones and biosynthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles. Among the bioactive compounds produced by Epicoccum spp., epicocconone is a commercially available fluorophore, D8646-2-6 is a patented telomerase inhibitor, and taxol is an anticancer drug originally isolated from Taxus brevifolia. Epicoccum spp. also produces epicolactone, an antimicrobial compound, and other bioactive chemical compounds including siderophores, antioxidants, inhibitors of HIV-1 replication, inhibitors of leukemic cells, inhibitors of protease, and inhibitors of telomerase and fluorescence.