Biodiversity of the chemical constituents in the epiphytic lichenized ascomycete Ramalina lacera grown on difference substrates Crataegus sinaicus, Pinus halepensis, and Quercus calliprinos.

Aim: The identification and evaluation of lichen metabolite production by the epiphytic lichenized ascomycete Ramalina lacera collected from different substrates: Crataegus sinaicus, Pinus halepensis, and Quercus calliprinos.

Methods: Chemical constituents were characterized by GC MS, HPLC, HR TLC, and other chemical methods.

Results: The most abundant fatty acids were alpha-linolenic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid but a considerable variability of the ester composition from one to another was found. A comparison of neutral lipids, glycolipids, polar lipids and fatty acid composition of the tree growing lichen Ramalina lacera was done. Diacylglyceryl N,N,N trimethylhomoserine, diaclyglycerylhydroxymethyl N,N,N trimethyl beta alanine, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylinositol were found as major components among polar lipids. Diffractaic, lecanoric, norstictic, protocetric, and usnic acids were isolated as major aromatic compounds in all samples of R. lacera.

Conclusions: We evaluated a diversity of fatty acids, lipids, and aromatic compounds produced by the samples of Ramalina lacera growing on different tree substrates, Crataegus sinaicus, Pinus halepensis and Quercus calliprinos.