Endophytes from Gingko biloba: the current status

The maidenhair tree (Gingko biloba) over his long period of existence has developed the ability to withstand multiple and diverse environmental stresses and microbial diseases. This species can, therefore, constitute a very good candidate for microbiological research. In fact, besides its outstanding pharmaceutical properties, several studies over the past two decades have also demonstrated that this fossil tree hosts numerous and highly diverse endophytic microorganisms. In this review, we summarized the current trend of knowledge on the different groups of microbial species inhabiting G. biloba including novel microbial species recently identified. Moreover, novel secondary metabolites isolated from these endophytes and their associated biological activities are also discussed. Our investigation is indicating clearly that G. biloba is a very rich source of endophytes because more than 30 genera of fungi and bacteria have already been reported as endophytes of this plant. However, because only a very small fraction of isolated endophytes was fully characterized, this diversity is highly underestimated, besides the paucity of information regarding endophytic bacteria and actinomycetes. We also brought to light the fact that limited is data regarding the bioactive spectrum of these endophytes. From this summary of data from the last two decades, it has become clear that more investigations are needed to fully characterize the endophytic microbial community inhabiting the maidenhair tree for both microbiological and pharmaceutical purposes.