An Overview on Pharmaceutical Applications of Lichen Secondary Metabolites

Lichens are complex symbiotic organisms comprising cyanobacteria, fungi, and algae.They produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites, many of which have shown beneficial properties in various fields including medicine.Pharmaceutical use of lichen secondary metabolites.An overview thorough search was conducted in several databases, including Scopus, Embase, Cochrane, and PubMed.The search terms used included Lichen, Lichen secondary metabolites, Lichen pharmaceutical application, antimicrobial agents from lichens, bioactive secondary metabolites from the likens, and anticancer activity of lichens.The study included all publications published in English.Lichens produce compounds such as usnic acid, which exhibit antimicrobial and antiviral properties.Usnic acid has been shown to have inhibitory effects against bacteria, fungi, and viruses.It has been studied for its potential in the management of hyperproliferative skin conditions and tumor growth.The lichens contain secondary metabolites with potent antioxidant properties.These compounds can scavenge free radicals, chelate catalytic metals, and act as oxygen scavengers, thereby obstructing oxidation.Lichen-derived antioxidants can be used to protect food from oxidative lipid degradation and to maintain food quality.Lichen secondary metabolites have shown potential for various medicinal activities, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-hepatotoxic, enzyme inhibitory, and anti-tumoral effects.Different lichen compounds have demonstrated cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines and inhibition of specific enzymes involved in inflammatory processes.