Isolation of griseofulvin from the endolichenic fungus Cubamyces menziesii (Berk.) Lücking inhabiting Parmotrema rampoddense (Nyl.) Hale

Efungi represent valuable sources for the discovery of diverse and biologically relevant natural products with significant applications in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and industry. In this study, Cubamyces menziesii (Berk.) Lücking, an endolichenic fungus isolated from the lichen Parmotrema rampoddense (Nyl.) Hale, was subjected to extraction and chromatographic purification to obtain griseofulvin (1) and acetyl tributyl citrate (2). The antimicrobial activity of the isolated compounds was assessed using the microtiter plate antimicrobial assay showing 125 – 250 µg/mL minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration in Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 700603, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. This is also the first report of griseofulvin (1), a commercially available antifungal drug, from the genus Cubamyces. The findings highlight the potential of C. menziesii as a promising resource for bioactive compounds, with implications for the development of novel antimicrobial agents for medical and industrial applications.