M. Cardarelli et al., ANTIMITOTIC EFFECTS OF USNIC ACID ON DIFFERENT BIOLOGICAL-SYSTEMS, Cellular and molecular life sciences, 53(8), 1997, pp. 667-672
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.