Metabolites, Enzymes, and Toxins in Entomopathogenic Fungi

Insect pests, being one of the major causal agents of various plant diseases, cause huge agricultural and economic losses. For the management of insect pest populations and to combat the losses caused by them, a number of synthetic insecticides are in use that are no longer as effective because of the evolution of insecticide resistance and the damage they pose to the ecological system. These days, a great emphasis is laid on finding alternative, novel, effective, natural, and environment-friendly approaches for the management of insect pests. Entomopathogenic fungi, for instance, in the genera Beauveria, Cladosporium, Cordyceps, and Metarhizium, occupy an important place as one of the natural enemies of insects and can prove a better alternative to chemical insecticides. These are consecrated with a plethora of bioactive metabolites, enzymes, and toxins that aid in developing the disease and causing insect mortality. Several mycoinsecticides have been developed using entomopathogenic fungi and/or their metabolites. With the introduction and application of the advanced technologies, instruments, and omics, a considerable improvement has been made and is in progress to employ entomopathogenic fungi and various metabolites, enzymes, and toxins isolated from them as alternatives to chemical insecticides.