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Biological activities of undescribed North American lichen species
Author(s) -
Yeash Erik A,
Letwin Lyndon,
Malek Lada,
Suntres Zacharias,
Knudsen Kerry,
Christopher Lew P
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.8340
Subject(s) - lichen , acetone , antioxidant , dpph , enterococcus faecalis , bacteria , ethyl acetate , chemistry , staphylococcus aureus , minimum inhibitory concentration , biology , botany , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , traditional medicine , in vitro , medicine , genetics
BACKGROUND Lichens provide a large array of compounds with the potential for pharmaceutical development. In the present study, extracts from three previously undescribed North American lichen species were examined for antioxidant, antibacterial and anticancer activities. RESULTS The results from this study demonstrated the following: (i) Acarospora socialis ethanol extract exhibited significant DPPH antioxidant scavenging activities, which were concentration dependent; (ii) acetone and ethyl acetate extracts of Xanthoparmelia mexicana inhibited Gram‐positive bacteria but had no effect on Gram‐negative bacteria; X. mexicana acetone extract yielded a minimum inhibitory concentration ( MIC ) of 20.9 µg mL −1 against Staphylococcus aureus , and 41.9 µg mL −1 against Enterococcus faecalis ; (iii) acetone extract of Lobothallia alphoplaca inhibited growth of cultured breast cancer MCF ‐7 cells with an effective concentration ( EC 50 ) of 87 µg mL −1 ; the MCF ‐7 cell cycle appears arrested in the G2 phase, whereas the DNA synthesis cell cycle (S) may be inhibited. CONCLUSION New lichen species that possess strong biological activities have been identified. These lichens comprise secondary metabolites that possess antioxidant, antibacterial and anticancer properties. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry