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Polysaccharides from lichens: structural characteristics and biological activity.

E S Olafsdottir1, K Ingólfsdottir

  • 1Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland. elinsol@hi.is

Planta Medica
|May 11, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Lichen polysaccharides, including beta-glucans and novel heteroglycans, show promising medicinal benefits. Further research into their structure and immunomodulating, antitumour, and memory-enhancing effects is warranted.

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Area of Science:

  • Natural Product Chemistry
  • Pharmacology
  • Mycology

Background:

  • Lichens possess a long history of medicinal use, often linked to their polysaccharide composition.
  • Less than 100 of the 13,500 known lichen species have been analyzed for their polysaccharide content.
  • Lichen polysaccharides are primarily classified into beta-glucans, alpha-glucans, and galactomannans.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of lichen polysaccharide structures.
  • To summarize the known biological activities of lichen polysaccharides.
  • To highlight novel findings, such as the heteroglycan thamnolan.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of scientific publications on lichen polysaccharides.
  • Analysis of structural characteristics of identified lichen polysaccharides.

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  • Compilation of data on reported biological effects.

    • Main Results:

    • Lichen polysaccharides exhibit diverse structural types, including beta-glucans, alpha-glucans, galactomannans, and complex heteroglycans like thamnolan.
    • Investigated biological activities include antitumour, immunomodulating, antiviral, and memory-enhancing effects.
    • A significant knowledge gap exists regarding the polysaccharide content of most lichen species.

    Conclusions:

    • Lichen polysaccharides represent a rich source of bioactive compounds with significant therapeutic potential.
    • Understanding the structure-activity relationships of these polysaccharides is crucial for their medicinal application.
    • Further exploration of lichen biodiversity is needed to uncover novel polysaccharides and their benefits.