In silico, in vitro screening of antioxidant and anticancer potentials of bioactive secondary metabolites from an endophytic fungus (Curvularia sp.) from Phyllanthus niruri L

The main objective of this research work is to discover novel and efficient phytochemical substances from endophytic fungus found in medicinal plants. Curvularia geniculata L. (C. geniculata L.), an endophytic fungus isolated from Phyllanthus niruri L. (P. niruri L.), was tested against hepatoma cell lines (HepG2) in order to screen their antioxidant and anticancer potentials. The profiling of phytochemicals from the fungal extract was characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and molecular docking was done for the identified compounds against one of the potential receptors predominantly present in the hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. Among the phytochemicals found, 2-methyl-7-phenylindole had the highest binding affinity (− 8.8 kcal mol−1) for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The stability of 2-methyl-7-phenylindole in the EGFR-binding pockets was tested using in silico molecular dynamics simulation. The fungal extract showed the highest antioxidant activity as measured by DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging, and FRAP assays. In vitro cytotoxicity assay of fungal extract demonstrated the concentration-dependent cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells after 24 h, and the IC50 (50% cell death) value was estimated to be 62.23 μg mL−1. Typical morphological changes such as condensation of nuclei and deformed membrane structures are indicative of ongoing apoptosis. The mitochondria of HepG2 cells were also targeted by the endophytic fungal extract, which resulted in substantial generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to the destruction of mitochondrial transmembrane potential integrity. These outcomes suggest that the ethyl acetate extract of C. geniculata L. has the potential to be an antioxidant agent and further to be exploited in developing potential anticancer agents.