Secondary Metabolites from Australian Lichens and Affect Growth and Metabolism of Photobiont through Allelopathy.

In the present work, the phytotoxic effects of secondary metabolites extracted from lichen (usnic acid) and lichen (a naturally occurring mixture of atranorin and perlatolic acid, approx. 3:1) on cultures of the aposymbiotically grown lichen photobiont were evaluated. Algae were cultivated on the surface of glass microfiber disks with applied crystals of lichen extracts for 14 days.

Comparative analysis of geotypic variations in the proteome of .

Cyanobacterium is a filamentous terrestrial prokaryotic organism widely distributed, which suggest its high adaptive potential to environmental or abiotic stress. Physiological parameters and proteomic analysis were performed in two accession of with the aim to elucidate the differences of physiological trails between distant geotypes, namely Antarctic (AN) and central European (CE). The result obtained clearly showed that the AN geotype demonstrates elevated levels of total phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and phycobiliproteins, indicative of its adaptation to environmental stress as referred by comparison to CE sample.

Freeze Substitution Accelerated via Agitation: New Prospects for Ultrastructural Studies of Lichen Symbionts and Their Extracellular Matrix.

(1) Background: Lichens, as an important part of the terrestrial ecosystem, attract the attention of various research disciplines. To elucidate their ultrastructure, transmission electron microscopy of resin-embedded samples is indispensable. Since most observations of lichen samples are generated via chemical fixation and processing at room temperature, they lack the rapid immobilization of live processes and are prone to preparation artefacts.

Mechanisms of Copper Toxicity and Tolerance in the Aquatic Moss .

Aquatic habitats are very frequently polluted with different kinds of xenobiotics, including heavy metals. For biomonitoring studies of aquatic pollution, algae are frequently used, as they do not contain protective cuticle on the surface of their thalli and can accumulate pollutants over the whole surface of thalli. However, this is a feature of most cryptogams.

Atranorin, a Secondary Metabolite of Lichens, Exhibited Anxiolytic/Antidepressant Activity in Wistar Rats.

Atranorin (ATR) is one of lichens' many known secondary metabolites. Most current studies have investigated the various effects of ATR in vitro and only sporadically in vivo. The latest data indicate that ATR may have anxiolytic/antidepressive effects.

Usnic Acid Isolated from (Du Rietz) Reduced In Vitro Angiogenesis in VEGF- and bFGF-Stimulated HUVECs and Ex Ovo in Quail Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) Assay.

Natural products include a diverse set of compounds of drug discovery that are currently being actively used to target tumor angiogenesis. In the present study, we evaluated the anti-angiogenic activities of secondary metabolite usnic acid isolated from We investigated the in vitro effects on proliferation, migration, and tube formation of VEGF- and bFGF-stimulated HUVECs. Ex ovo anti-angiogenic activity was evaluated using the CAM assay.

A Comparative Study of Isolated Secondary Metabolites from Lichens and Their Antioxidative Properties.

Free radicals play a critical role in the chemical processes that occur in all cells. Pharmaceutical companies manufacture a variety of synthetically prepared antioxidants, but it is known that many of these can be carcinogenic. As a result, efforts are being made to find natural antioxidants that do not have these side effects.

The Absence of the AtSYT1 Function Elevates the Adverse Effect of Salt Stress on Photosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

SYNAPTOTAGMIN 1 (AtSYT1) was shown to be involved in responses to different environmental and biotic stresses. We investigated gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence in Arabidopsis wild-type (WT, ecotype Col-0) and mutant plants irrigated for 48 h with 150 mM NaCl. We found that salt stress significantly decreases net photosynthetic assimilation, effective photochemical quantum yield of photosystem II (Φ), stomatal conductance and transpiration rate in both genotypes.

Potential Effect of (L.) Zopf Extract and Metabolite Physodic Acid on Tumour Microenvironment Modulation in MCF-10A Cells.

Lichens comprise a number of unique secondary metabolites with remarkable biological activities and have become an interesting research topic for cancer therapy. However, only a few of these metabolites have been assessed for their effectiveness against various in vitro models. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the effect of extract (L.

Biological activity of selected lichens and lichen-based Ag nanoparticles prepared by a green solid-state mechanochemical approach.

Lichens dispose a wide spectrum of bioactive compounds known as secondary metabolites. Their biological effects like antioxidant and antibacterial activities are widely studied. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is a method where the compounds/substances present in plants are used for reduction of AgNOinstead of toxic chemicals.

Oxidative stress mediated by gyrophoric acid from the lichen Umbilicaria hirsuta affected apoptosis and stress/survival pathways in HeLa cells.

Background: Lichens produce a huge diversity of bioactive compounds with several biological effects. Gyrophoric acid (GA) is found in high concentrations in the common lichen Umbilicaria hirsuta, however evidence for biological activity was limited to anti-proliferative activity described on several cancer cell lines.

Methods: We developed and validated a new protocol for GA isolation, resulting in a high yield of highly pure GA (validated by HPLC and NMR) in an easy and time saving manner.

Insights into physiological responses of mosses Physcomitrella patens and Pohlia drummondii to lichen secondary metabolites.

It is widely accepted that allelopathy among mosses and lichens do exist due to its similar ecological needs, though it is rarely documented. With an aim to test whether there is an effect of allelochemicals to mosses, we grow axenically two moss species (namely Physcomitrella patens and Pohlia drummondii) in controlled conditions and use them to test the effect of lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea acetone extracts containing active compounds: atranorin, chloratranorin, and physodic acid. The photosynthesis value and the biochemical parameters were measured to detect changes in moss organisms upon application of different concentration of lichen extract.

Usnic acid, as a biotic factor, changes the ploidy level in mosses.

Lichens and mosses often share the same environmental conditions where they compete for substrate and other essential factors. Lichens use secondary metabolites as allelochemicals to repel surrounding plants and potential rivals. In mosses, endoreduplication leads to the occurrence of various ploidy levels in the same individual and has been suggested as an adaptation to abiotic stresses.

Toxicity of Diclofenac in the Fern Azolla filiculoides and the Lichen Xanthoria parietina.

This study investigated the occurrence of toxicity, expressed as damage to the photosynthetic apparatus, in the aquatic fern Azolla filiculoides and the lichen Xanthoria parietina following treatments with diclofenac at different concentrations (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 mg/L) and different exposure times (24, 48, 72 and 240 h). Measurements of photosynthetic efficiency, chlorophyll content and chlorophyll degradation indicated dose- and time-dependent toxicity, since significant differences with control samples as well as among treatments, emerged mainly for the highest concentration (100 mg/L) and the longest time (240 h).

Short-term influence of Cu, Zn, Ni and Cd excess on metabolism, ultrastructure and distribution of elements in lichen Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr.

Lichens are symbiotic organisms that are very sensitive to heavy metal pollution. However, there is little evidence of how heavy metal pollution affects the physiological status, ultrastructural changes and distribution of elements in the layers of lichen thalli. For this purpose we simulated metal pollution to lichens and studied its impact on Xanthoria parietina.

A drug delivery system based on switchable photo-controlled p-coumaric acid derivatives anchored on mesoporous silica.

A stimuli-responsive drug delivery system consisting of mesoporous silica with its surface modified by p-coumaric acid derivatives (CA) as photo-switchable ligands was studied for the delivery of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) naproxen. For this purpose, MCM-41 mesoporous silica material was prepared and post-synthetically modified by the grafting of a triethoxysilyl derivative of p-coumaric acid, which undergoes a reversible photo-dimerization under UV irradiation and creates the "valves" on the surface of silica allowing targeted opening/closing of the pores. Naproxen was encapsulated into grafted MCM-41 and drug release studies were performed in two different media, in a simulated gastric fluid (pH = 2) and in a simulated body fluid (pH = 7.

Lichen secondary metabolites affect growth of Physcomitrella patens by allelopathy.

Lichen secondary metabolites can function as allelochemicals and affect the development and growth of neighboring bryophytes, fungi, vascular plants, microorganisms, and even other lichens. Lichen overgrowth on bryophytes is frequently observed in nature even though mosses grow faster than lichens, but there is still little information on the interactions between lichens and bryophytes.In the present study, we used extracts from six lichen thalli containing secondary metabolites like usnic acid, protocetraric acid, atranorin, lecanoric acid, nortistic acid, and thamnolic acid.

Murine breast carcinoma 4T1 cells are more sensitive to atranorin than normal epithelial NMuMG cells in vitro: Anticancer and hepatoprotective effects of atranorin in vivo.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anticancer effect of atranorin (ATR) on murine 4T1 breast carcinoma cells and compare its sensitivity with normal mammary epithelial NMuMG cells in vitro. Anti-tumor and hepatoprotective activity of ATR-therapy was examined on mouse model of 4T1-induced cancer disease. ATR significantly reduced clonogenic ability of carcinoma 4T1 cells at the concentration of 75 μM, but clonogenicity of normal NMuMG cells was not affected by any of ATR concentrations tested.

Effects of acute NH3 air pollution on N-sensitive and N-tolerant lichen species.

Lichens are sensitive to the presence of ammonia (NH3) in the environment. However, in order to use them as reliable indicators in biomonitoring studies, it is necessary to establish unequivocally the occurrence of certain symptoms following the exposure to NH3 in the environment. In this paper, we simulated an episode of acute air pollution due to the release of NH3.

Uptake and toxicity of glyphosate in the lichen Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr.

This study investigated if treatment of the lichen Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr.

Epiphytic lichens as indicators of environmental quality around a municipal solid waste landfill (C Italy).

Epiphytic lichens have been used as indicators of environmental quality around a municipal solid waste landfill in C Italy. An integrated approach, using the diversity of epiphytic lichens, as well as element bioaccumulation and physiological parameters in the lichen Flavoparmelia caperata (L.) Hale was applied along a transect from the facility.

Lichen secondary metabolites as DNA-interacting agents.

A series of lichen secondary metabolites (parietin, atranorin, usnic and gyrophoric acid) and their interactions with calf thymus DNA were investigated using molecular biophysics and biochemical methods. The binding constants K were estimated to range from 4.3×10(5) to 2.

Changes of metal-induced toxicity by H2O 2/NO modulators in Scenedesmus quadricauda (Chlorophyceae).

Effect of nitric oxide donor (sodium nitroprusside, SNP, 500 μM) or hydrogen peroxide scavenger (dithiothreitol, DTT, 500 μM) on cadmium (Cd) or copper (Cu) uptake (150 μM solutions) and toxicity using Scenedesmus quadricauda was studied. Combined treatments (Cd or Cu + DTT or SNP) usually ameliorated metal-induced toxicity at the level of pigments, proteins, and mineral nutrients in comparison with respective metal alone. Viability tests (MTT and TTC) showed the lowest values preferentially in Cu treatments, indicating higher toxicity in comparison with Cd.

Lichen secondary metabolites are responsible for induction of apoptosis in HT-29 and A2780 human cancer cell lines.

Lichens are a known source of approximately 800 unique secondary metabolites, many of which play important ecological roles, including regulating the equilibrium between symbionts. However, only a few of these compounds have been assessed for their effectiveness against various in vitro cancer models. Moreover, the mechanisms of biological activity of lichen secondary metabolites on living cells (including cancer cells) are still almost entirely unknown.

COMPARISON OF METHYL JASMONATE AND CADMIUM EFFECT ON SELECTED PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN SCENEDESMUS QUADRICAUDA (CHLOROPHYTA, CHLOROPHYCEAE)(1).

Effect of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) in the concentrations of 10 or 100 μM on selected physiological parameters in Scenedesmus quadricauda (Turp.) Bréb. after 24 h of exposure was studied.