Biologically-active compounds from Brazilian lichens and their affinity with ether

It can be obtained from lichens biologically-active extracts and pure substances, many of them of phenolic nature. They are usually obtained by using organic solvents, such as diethyl ether. In this paper the usefulness of ether for the obtainment of crude extracts and the subsequent purification of pure substances from Brazilian lichen is reviewed, as well as alternatives to their production through cells or thallus immobilization in bioreactors and their entrapment in inert matrix

Ultrastructural Analysis of Leishmania infantum chagasi

Leishmaniasis is considered by the World Health Organization as one of the infectious parasitic diseases endemic of great relevance and a global public health problem. Pentavalent antimonials used for treatment of this disease are limited and new phytochemicals emerge as an alternative to existing treatments, due to the low toxicity and cost reduction. Usnic acid is uniquely found in lichens and is especially abundant in genera such as Alectoria, Cladonia, Evernia, Lecanora, Ramalina, and Usnea. Usnic acid has been shown to exhibit antiviral, antiprotozoal, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antileishmanial activity of usnic acid on Leishmania infantum chagasi promastigotes and the occurrence of drug-induced ultrastructural damage in the parasite. Usnic acid was effective against the promastigote forms (IC50 = 18.30 ± 2.00 µg/mL). Structural and ultrastructural aspects of parasite were analyzed. Morphological alterations were observed as blebs in cell membrane and shapes given off, increasing the number of cytoplasmic vacuoles, and cellular and mitochondrial swelling, with loss of cell polarity. We concluded that the usnic acid presented antileishmanial activity against promastigote forms of Leishmania infantum chagasi and structural and ultrastructural analysis reinforces its cytotoxicity. Further, in vitro studies are warranted to further evaluate this potential

Indigofera suffruticosa Mill. (Anil): Plant Profile, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology Review

Indigoferasuffruticosa Mill. (Fabaceae) is known as anil or anileira and also with other names, due to the production of a blue pigment, which is commonly used for yarn dyeing. It is distributed in some states of Brazil (Pernambuco, Paraíba, Mato Grosso, São Paulo, Bahia, Pará, and others) and is used in the popular medicine as a febrifuge, antispasmodic, diuretic, abortive, analgesic, purgative, or soothing agent against stomach and urinary problems, jaundice, and ulcers and also as an insecticide. In addition, I. suffruticosa can be used as animal feed. This review aimed at providing important data on the botanical, distribution, ethnopharmacology, phytochemical, pharmacological, and toxicity of I. suffruticosa based on the scientific literature. Information on I. suffruticosa was gathered via the Internet (from Elsevier, NCBI, and Sci-Hub) and libraries in the period from February to March 2016. More than 40 chemical compounds have been identified and a few compounds isolated, and the main origins are the essential oils, organic extracts, and aqueous extracts of different parts of the plant. I. suffruticosa and its active compounds possess wide pharmacological actions in the literature, such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidative, antitumor, antimutagenic, anticonvulsant, gastroprotective, and hepatoprotective activities. Therefore, as an important traditional popular medicine, further studies on I. suffruticosa are required for the development of new drugs and therapeutics for various diseases

Effects of both urea and light on the ability of Accumulation and se- cretion of proteins and phenolics by Cladonia verticillaris

Pernambuco (Brazil) in which sugar cane cultures are often established and fertilized by urea. The thalli of the above mentioned lichen are ex- perimentally maintained on different concentrations of urea in light or in darkness, conditions that simulate agricultural uses. The capture of the external urea by the thalli was higher in light than in the dark depending on the urea concentration. Urea inside the thallus is hydrolyzed by in- duced urease to produce both carbon dioxide and ammonia. This implies an increase of the protein production, a part of which is secreted to the media whereas another part is retained by the thallus. Both secretion and retention of proteins are increased by light. Production of lichen phenolics, protocetraric and fumarprotocetraric acids, increases in light and fumarprotocetraric acid mainly migrates to the cortex. Both production and migration are slightly effected by urea

Hepatic toxicity caused by PLGA-microspheres containing usnic acid from the lichen C ladonia substellata (AHTI) during pregnancy in Wistar rats

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the teratogenic and hepatotoxic potential of the usnic acid encapsulated into PLGA-microspheres. In total, 12 female Wistar rats in pregnancy were randomly distributed in the control group (n= 6) that received 1.0 mL of physiological solution and treatment group (n= 6) that received 25 mg/kg of encapsulated usnic acid by oral administration. All females were euthanized at day 20 of pregnancy and their fetuses were removed and analyzed. During the pregnancy was observed a reduction in weight gain. There was no difference in serum transaminases levels analyzed as well as any difference in liver weight in both groups. The histomorphometric analysis of the liver from the treatment group revealed an increase in number of hepatocytes and a decrease in nuclear area of these cells. Moreover, no alteration was observed in cell area of hepatocytes or number of Kupffer cells. The fetuses had an increase in total number of hepatocytes and a reduction in the amount of megakaryocytes. These results show the hepatotoxic potential of usnic acid during pregnancy. However, its toxicity can be minimized by encapsulation in microspheres

Efects of Usnic, Barbatic and Fumarprotocetraric acids on Survival of Nasutitermes corniger (Isoptera: Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae)

Lichens (Algal-Fungal association) synthesize unique chemical substances with different biological activities. Three pure lichen compounds were assayed to evaluate their potential insecticidal activity against the termite Nasutitermes corniger on Petri dishes. Usnic, fumarprotocetraric and barbatic acids were isolated and purified from the lichens Cladonia substellata, C. verticillaris and Cladia aggregata, respectively, using thin-layer and high-performance liquid chromatography for attesting their purity. Nuclear proton magnetic resonance and infrared spectrophotometry was used for their chemical characterization. After exposure, mortality of termites (workers and soldiers) was determined during 11 days period. The termiticidal effect was influenced by the exposure time and the type of member colony. The results showed that lichen substances, tested at 5, 7 and 10 mg mL-1, have a termiticidal activity (~100%) on worker termites after 8th days of treatment, in comparison with controls. However, no significant effect on soldiers was found. These findings indicate that usnic, fumarprotocetraric and barbatic acids are potential compounds for use in the control of this urban pest

Atividade antimicrobiana de derivados fenólicos do líquen Ramalina sorediosa (B. de Lesd.) Laundron Antimicrobian activity of phenols actives from the liquen Ramalina sorediosa (B. de Lesd.) Laundron

A atividade antimicrobiana de extratos brutos de Ramalina sorediosa foi detectada pelo método de difusão em disco de papel. Dois metabólitos liquênicos de natureza fenólica foram identificados por meio de técnicas biocromatográficas. Uma dessas substâncias foi identificada por meio de cromatografia em camada delgada como sendo o ácido úsnico. A segunda substância, que se encontra presente em maior concentração em relação aos demais constituintes nos extratos, trata-se do ácido homossequicáico. As análises em cromatografia em camada delgada (CCD) e cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE) revelaram ainda a presença do ácido salazínico. Os dados obtidos tornam possível atribuir a atividade antibiótica observada nesta espécie a uma provável associação sinérgica destas substâncias.<br>The antimicrobian activity of crude extracts from Ramalina sorediosa was detected by the diffusion disc-paper method. Two phenolic compounds from the lichen considered active were detected by using biochromathograhyc technique. Two of those compounds were identified through thin layer chromatographic technique (TLC) as been usnic acid and the second one, wich is present in higher concentration when compared with the other substances, was the homosekikaik acid. The TLC and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) assays still detected the salazanic acid presence. The obtained data make it possible to attribute the antibiotic activity of this species to a synergic association of those two substances