Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of the lichens Physcia aipolia, Xanthoria parietina, Usnea florida, Usnea subfloridana and Melanohalea exasperata

Gülşah Çobanoğlu; Cenk Sesal; Birkan Açıkgöz; İskender Karaltı

doi:10.5281/zenodo.155349

Gülşah Çobanoğlu Marmara University, Science and Art Faculty, Department of Biology, Goztepe Campus, TR-34722 Istanbul, Turkey
Cenk Sesal Marmara University, Science and Art Faculty, Department of Biology, Goztepe Campus, TR-34722 Istanbul, Turkey
Birkan Açıkgöz Marmara University, Science and Art Faculty, Department of Biology, Goztepe Campus, TR-34722 Istanbul, Turkey
İskender Karaltı Yeditepe University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Ataşehir, Istanbul, Turkey

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.155349

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of methanol and chloroform extracts of five lichen species, Melanohalea exasperata, Physcia aipolia, Usnea florida, U. subfloridana and Xanthoria parietina. Antimicrobial activity in culture assays of these foliose and fruticose lichen extracts were examined against two Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli), two Gram-positive bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus), and the yeast Candida albicans using the paper disc method through determination of minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs). The obtained results indicated the existence of different levels of antibiotic substances in the chloroform and the methanol extracts of the examined lichen species. The chloroform extracts of Usnea subfloridana showed the highest activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa while the methanol extracts of this species were not active against these microorganisms. The chloroform extracts of the examined species exhibited more significant antimicrobial activity than the methanol extracts. None of the species were active against Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus. Most of the lichen extracts indicated a moderate antifungal activity against Candida albicans, except for Physcia aipolia, which was not active.

References

Açikgöz B., Karalti İ., Ersöz M., Coşkun M.Z., Çobanoğlu G., Sesal C. 2013. Screening of antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects of two Cladonia species. Z. Naturforsch. C. 68 (5-6): 191–197.
Aslan A., Güllüce M., Atalan E. 2001. A study of antimicrobial activity of some lichens. Bull. Pure Appl. Sci. 20 (1): 23–26.
Atalay F., Halici M., Mavi A., Çakir A., Odabaşoğlu F., Kazaz C., Aslan A., Küfrevioğlu I. 2011. Antioxidant phenolics from Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. and Usnea longissima Ach. lichen species. Turk. J. Chem. 35: 1–15.
Basile A., Rigano D., Loppi S., Di Santi A., Nebbioso A., Sorbo S., Conte B., Paoli L., Ruberto F.D., Molinari A.M., Altucci L., Bontempo P. 2015. Antiproliferative, antibacterial and antifungal activity of the lichen Xanthoria parietina and its secondary metabolite parietin. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 16: 7861–7875.
Bauer A.W., Kirby W.M.N., Sherris J.C., Turck M. 1966. Antibiotic susceptibility testing by a standardized simple disc method. Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 45: 493.
Crockett M., Kageyama S., Homen D., Lewis C., Osborn J., Sander L. 2003. Antibacterial properties of four pacific northeast lichens. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis.
Çobanoğlu G., Sesal C., Gökmen B., Çakar S. 2010. Evaluation of the antimicrobial properties of some lichens. South-West J. Hortic. Biol. Environ. 1: 153–158.
Dülger B., Gücin F., Kara A., Aslan A. 1997. Usnea florida (L.) Wigg. likeninin antimikrobiyal aktivitesi. Turkish J. Biol. 21: 103–108.
Francolini I., Norris P., Piozzi A., Donelli G., Stoodley P. 2004. Usnic acid, a natural antimicrobial agent able to inhibit bacterial biofilm formation on polymer surfaces. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 48 (11): 4360–4365.
Halama P., Van Haluwyn C. 2004. Antifungal activity of lichen extracts and lichenic acids. BioControl 49: 95–107.
Huneck S. 1999. The significance of lichens and their metabolites. Naturwissenschaften 86: 559–570.
Ingolfsdottir K. 2002. Molecules of interest – usnic acid. Phytochemistry 61: 729–736.
Karagöz A., Doğruöz N., Zeybek Z., Aslan A. 2009. Antibacterial activity of some lichen extracts. J. Med. Plants Res. 3 (12): 1034–1039.
Karthikaidevi G., Thirumaran G., Manivannan K., Anantharaman P., Kathiresan K., Balasubaramanian T. 2009. Screening of the Antibacterial properties of lichen Roccella belangeriana (Awasthi) from Pichavaram Mangrove (Rhizophora sp.). Adv. Biol. Res. 3 (3-4): 127–131.
Kekuda T.R.P., Vinayaka K.S., Kumar S.V.P., Sudharsan S.J. 2009. Antioxidant and antibacterial activity of lichen extracts, honey and their combination. J. Pharm. Res. 2 (12): 1875–1878.
Llano G.A. 1950. Economic uses of lichens. Annual Report. Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
Luo H., Ren M., Lim K., Koh Y.J., Wang L., Hur J. 2006. Antioxidative activity of lichen Thamnolia vermicularis in vitro. Mycobiology 34 (3): 124–127.
Luo H., Yamamoto Y., Kim J.A., Jung J.S., Koh Y.J., Hur S. 2009. Lecanoric acid, a secondary lichen substance with antioxidant properties from Umbilicaria antarctica in maritime Antarctica (King George Island). Polar Biol. 32: 1033–1040.
Malhotra S, Subban R., Singh A. 2007. Lichens-role in traditional medicine and drug discovery. Internet J. Alternative Med. 5: 2.
Manojlovic N.T., Vasiljevic P., Juskovic M., Najman S., Jankovic S., Milenkovic-Andjelkovic A. 2010. HPLC analysis and cytotoxic potential of extracts from the lichen, Thamnolia vermicularis var. subuliformis. J. Med. Plants Res. 4 (9): 817–823.
Muggia L., Schmitt I., Grube M. 2009. Lichens as treasure chests of natural products. Sım News May/June 2009: 85–97.
Ranković B.R., Kosanić M.M., Stanojković T.P. 2011. Antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer activity of the lichens Cladonia furcata, Lecanora atra and Lecanora muralis. BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 11: 97.
Romagni J.G., Dayan F.E. 2002. Structural diversity of lichen metabolites and their potential use. In: Upadhyay R.K. (ed.), Advances in microbial toxin research and its biotechnological exploitation: 151–170. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, USA.
Russo A., Piovana M., Lombardo L., Garbarino J., Cardile V. 2008. Lichen metabolites prevent UV light and nitric oxide-mediated plasmid DNA damage and induce apoptosis in human melanoma cells. Life Sci. 83: 468–474.
Santiago K.K.A., Borricano J.N.C., Canal J.N., Marcelo D.M.A., Perez M.C.P., De La Cruz T.E.E. 2010. Antibacterial activities of fruticose lichens collected from selected sites in Luzon Island, Philippines. Philippine Sci. Lett. 3: 18–29.
Schmeda-Hirschmann G., Tapia A., Lima B., Pertino M., Sortino M., Zacchino S., Arias A.R., Feresin G.E. 2008. A new antifungal and antiprotozoal depside from the Andean lichen Protousnea poeppigii. Phytother. Res. 22: 349–355.
Smith C.W., Aptroot A., Coppins B.J., Fletcher A., Gilbert O.L., James P.W., Wolseley P.A. 2009. The lichens of Great Britain and Ireland. The British Lichen Society, London, UK.
Suleyman H., Yildirim D., Aslan A., Gocer F., Gepdiremen A., Guvenalp Z. 2002. An investigation of the antiinflammatory effects of an extract from Cladonia rangiformis Hoffm. Biol. Pharm. Bull. 25: 10–13.
Şen H., Aksoy A., Çobanoğlu G., Selvi S. 2014. Natural dyeing works on some lichens species distributed in Ayvacık (Çanakkale) and İvrindi (Balıkesir/Turkey). Biol. Divers. Cons. 7 (3): 184–189.
Thippeswamy B., Naveenkumar K.J., Bodharti J.G., Shivaprasad S.R. 2011. Antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of Usnea longissima. J. Exp. Sci. 2 (12): 1–3.
Triggiani D., Ceccarelli D., Tiezzi A., Pisani T., Munzi S., Gaggi C., Loppi S. 2009. Antiproliferative activity of lichen extracts on murine myeloma cells. Biologia 64: 59–62.
Turkez H., Aydin E., Aslan A. 2012. Xanthoria elegans (Link) (lichen) extract counteracts DNA damage and oxidative stress of mitomycin C in human lymphocytes. Cytotechnology 64: 679–686.
Yavuz M. 2013. Lichens in the prescriptions of Pliny the Elder. Oltenia – Studii şi comunicări. Ştiinţele Naturii 29 (1): 115–119.
Yavuz M., Çobanoğlu G. 2010. Ethnological uses and etymology of the word usnea in Ebubekir Razi’s “Liber Almansoris”. BLS Bulletin 106: 3–12.
Weissman L., Garty J., Hochman A. 2005. Characterization of enzymatic antioxidants in the lichen Ramalina lacera and their response to rehydration. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71 (11): 6508–6514.