{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,31]],"date-time":"2026-07-31T14:14:37Z","timestamp":1785507277658,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":62,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,16]],"date-time":"2024-04-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1713225600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JoF"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The pressing demand for novel compounds to address contemporary health challenges has prompted researchers to venture into uncharted territory, including extreme ecosystems, in search of new natural pharmaceuticals. Fungi capable of tolerating extreme conditions, known as extremophilic fungi, have garnered attention for their ability to produce unique secondary metabolites crucial for defense and communication, some of which exhibit promising clinical significance. Among these, halophilic fungi thriving in high-salinity environments have particularly piqued interest for their production of bioactive molecules. This review highlights the recent discoveries regarding novel compounds from halotolerant fungal strains isolated from various saline habitats. From diverse fungal species including Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Myrothecium, and Cladosporium, a plethora of intriguing molecules have been elucidated, showcasing diverse chemical structures and bioactivity. These compounds exhibit cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines such as A549, HL60, and K-562, antimicrobial activity against pathogens like Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Candida albicans, as well as radical-scavenging properties. Notable examples include variecolorins, sclerotides, alternarosides, and chrysogesides, among others. Additionally, several compounds display unique structural motifs, such as spiro-anthronopyranoid diketopiperazines and pentacyclic triterpenoids. The results emphasize the significant promise of halotolerant fungi in providing bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical, agricultural, and biotechnological uses. However, despite their potential, halophilic fungi are still largely unexplored as sources of valuable compounds.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jof10040290","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,16]],"date-time":"2024-04-16T11:16:01Z","timestamp":1713266161000},"page":"290","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Hidden Treasure: Halophilic Fungi as a Repository of Bioactive Lead Compounds"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1584-691X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shivankar","family":"Agrawal","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), V Ramalingaswami Bhawan, Ansari Nagar-AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), Delhi 110029, India"},{"name":"ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Belagavi 590010, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-3184-6627","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pruthviraj","family":"Chavan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Belagavi 590010, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7392-355X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laurent","family":"Dufoss\u00e9","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chemistry and Biotechnology of Natural Products, ChemBioPro, Universit\u00e9 de La R\u00e9union, Ecole Sup\u00e9rieure d\u2019Ing\u00e9nieurs\u2014R\u00e9union, Oc\u00e9an Indien ESIROI Agroalimentaire, 97410 Saint-Denis, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Chavan, P., and Agrawal, S. 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