Sudanese Medicinal Plants and Their Endophytic Fungi as Sources of Antifungal Agents

Abstract

In Sudan, the widespread occurrence of fungal diseases, along with limited access to modern medicine, highlights the therapeutic significance of indigenous medicinal plants. Globally, both medicinal plants and their associated endophytic fungi constitute a major natural reservoir for novel antifungal compounds. This paper reviews the antifungal research undertaken on Sudanese medicinal plants and their endophytic fungi during the period 2000–2025. The literature survey was conducted using the databases Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. In this review, a total of 88 plant species belonging to 51 families were investigated for antifungal activity, predominantly against species of Candida, Saccharomyces and Aspergillus. Among these, 16 species were specifically tested against Madurella mycetomatis, the primary causative agent of eumycetoma. The family Fabaceae was the most screened family. Analysis of the publications reviewed indicated that the majority of papers used the cup-plate diffusion method for assaying antifungal activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration was the most prominent assay used to detect anti-M. mycetomatis. Plant extracts of the Combretaceae family, Boswellia papyrifera and Pimpinella anisum essential oil, displayed promising antifungal activity. In addition, Alternaria sp., Curvularia sp. and Pleospora sp. endophytic fungi isolated from Vachellia nilotica and Cymbopogon schoenanthus also showed promising antifungal activity. Further investigation into fungal endophytes is essential to characterize species diversity and identify novel bioactive metabolites. Implementing a modernized research framework for Sudanese medicinal plants is critical for developing novel antifungal leads.