ANTIMITOTIC EFFECTS OF USNIC ACID ON DIFFERENT BIOLOGICAL-SYSTEMS

Usnic acid is a biosynthesis product characteristic of several epiphyt ic lichens such as Evernia, Cladonia and Parmelia. Usnic acid has seve ral interesting biological properties. It is an antibiotic and it also seems to exert an antimitotic action. It has even been postulated tha t usnic acid can play a role as an environmental indicator, since its concentration varies according to the presence of toxic agents. A seri es of tests have been run on different biological systems such as fung i, yeasts, plant cells and neoplastic human cell cultures in order to make a general evaluation of the properties of usnic acid and to highl ight any analogy between its effects on phylogenetically distant organ isms. The results obtained confirm some of the already known propertie s of usnic acid and identify concentration ranges that are active agai nst cells from different organisms. Furthermore, at low concentrations , the acid displays a capacity to stimulate cell metabolism in some of the biological systems tested.