Lichen Depsidones with Biological Interest

Area of Science:

• Natural Products Chemistry
• Pharmacology
• Medicinal Botany

Background:

• Depsidones are abundant lichen secondary metabolites with demonstrated bioactivities.
• These compounds, including fumarprotocetraric acid and lobaric acid, are of significant pharmacological interest.
• Existing research primarily focuses on in vitro and limited in vivo studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an updated overview of lichen depsidones and their biological potential.
• To consolidate current knowledge on the pharmacological activities of well-studied depsidones.
• To highlight areas for future research and clinical investigation.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies investigating lichen depsidones.
• Analysis of reported antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities.
• Evaluation of in vitro and in vivo experimental data.

Main Results:

• Lichen depsidones exhibit promising antioxidant, antimicrobial (Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria, Candida spp.), and cytotoxic effects against various cell lines.
• Fumarprotocetraric acid, lobaric acid, norstictic acid, physodic acid, salazinic acid, and stictic acid are among the most studied.
• No clinical trials have been conducted to date.

Conclusions:

• Lichen depsidones are promising candidates for therapeutic development, particularly as cytotoxic and antimicrobial agents.
• Further investigation into their mechanisms of action and exploration of unstudied depsidones are warranted.
• More in vivo studies and clinical trials are essential to validate their therapeutic efficacy.