Lichen-Derived Products

Extraction and Applications

Mohd Yusuf

• Publisher: Wiley-Scrivener
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781119591719
• eBook ISBN: 9781119593256
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Industrial & Technical Chemistry

The purpose of this book is to provide reference material that includes current developments along with a future outlook on the topic. It is divided into two sections; "Morphological Overview and Extraction Prospects" and "Trends and Applications". Part I contains four chapters that provide an overview and systematically discuss the physical morphology, suitability and extraction aspects of lichens and their secondary metabolites. Part II includes eight chapters that give in-depth insights on recent and valuable applications of lichen and their obtained products in several applied sectors, including ethnopharmacology, therapeutics, paper and dye, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, herbal industries, etc.

PART 1
MORPHOLOGICAL OVERVIEW AND EXTRACTION PROSPECTS

1
An Overview on Lichen’s Morphology, Chemistry of Derived Products, and Current Scenario

Mohd Yusuf

Department of Chemistry, YMD College, M. D. University, Nuh, Haryana, India

Abstract

Lichens, the mutual symbionts of a fungus with microalga and/or a cyanobacterium, are important constituents of many ecosystems. A large number of natural products and secondary metabolites have been obtained from lichens, especially, dyes, drugs, and other constituents. In the present scenario, these natural products/secondary metabolites have shown impressive range of biological activities such as antimicrobial, anticancer, antifungal, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic activities, and many more. Traditionally, lichens as whole and their extracts were used to treat various diseases and ailments around the world. This chapter deals with the discussion on lichen’s morphology and chemistry of derived products.

Keywords: Lichen, morphology, biological activity, antibacterial, antifungal, dyes

1.1 Introduction

Lichens are an inevitable segment of all ecosystems due to their symbiotic nature not only fixation of essential nutrients from the air to the soil but also production of fresh oxygen into air. Lichens are slowest growing, unique in nature and shape, stable, and self-supporting symbiotic organisms propagate on living organisms such as shrubs, tortoise’s carapaces, trunks and woods of trees, etc., and mounted surfaces like soil, bricks, and many more, in an association of a fungi with algal isolate [1, 2]. It is estimated that lichens are survived with approximately 25,000 species in which 98% are Ascomycotes fungal partners and remaining 2% are cyanobacteria partners [3]. Old documentations reveal the uses of lichens and their extracts/obtained products have been utilized, as one of the best traditional medicines for the treatment of several human (wounds, burns, fissures, impotency, etc.), plants (rots and worts), and animal diseases (disfertility, wounds, skin issues) [4, 5]. Lichen found to exhibit manifold biological activities in various screenings, for example, antimicrobial, anticancer, antifungal, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, growth inhibitory, and enzyme inhibitory activities, etc. [1–8]. Extracts of many lichen species of the genus Usnea were found usable as analgesic remedy in several countries of Asia, Europe, Africa, and Argentina [9].

The plant-like portion of the lichens is morphologically multifarious and generally often called as thallus. Primarily, the main three categories of lichens were recognized already such as crustose, foliose, and fruticose [1]. Furthermore, lichenologists, chiefly Baron, Dobson, Smith, and their co-workers described comprehensive diversities of thallus types (Table 1.1). Lichens inherently synthesize various types of secondary metabolites. There are more than 1,000 lichen-derived substances/biomolecules that have been identified through analytical and experimental methods [2]. The discussion on lichen’s thallus morphology and the chemistry of their derived products with their considerable applications is highlighted herein this chapter.

1.2 The Lichen’s Body: Thallus Morphology

Lichens are found growing on high peaks from the sea to the mountains such as wood, trunks, barks of trees, crustacean to the soil, rocks, walls, and many more places either in the sunlight or in the dark grooves. Abundantly, they propagate in clean environment like, forest ecosystem, and in a wide range of locations and climates from the Polar Regions to the tropics. Thus, they act as environmental indicator. Lichen thallus is the vegetative part and morphologically diversified in nature with branched, proliferated, tabulate, leafy, fibrous, tiny plates, layers of powdery granules, or without any specified thallus [10]. The main three categories of lichens were recognized already such as crustose, foliose, and fruticose [9]. Furthermore, lichenologists, chiefly Baron, Dobson, Smith, and their co-workers described comprehensive diversities of thallus types (Table 1.1) [5–10].

Table 1.1 Morphological diversities in lichen thalli.

Lichen types	Thallus morphology
Foliose
	Evernia prunastri	Peltigera membranacea	Parmotrema perlatum
Fruticose
	Usnea subfloridana	Roccella phycopsis	Ramalina polymorpha
Squamulose
	Squamarina cartilaginea	Cladonia subcervicornis	Vahliella leucophaea
Crustose
	Ophioparma ventosa	D...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Preface
• PART 1: MORPHOLOGICAL OVERVIEW AND EXTRACTION PROSPECTS
• PART 2: TRENDS AND APPLICATIONS
• Index
• End User License Agreement