Cardiovascular-protective, antioxidative, and antimicrobial properties of natural thallus of lichen Usnea complanata

Abstract

In this study the cardiovascular protective antioxidative and antimicrobial properties of natural thallus of lichen Usnea complanata has been reported. Ethyl acetate extract showed maximum HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity up to 52.87 % at 200 μg/ml. Ethanol extract at same concentration showed 46.37 % inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme. Maximum fibrinolytic activity was obtained in ethanol extract followed by hexane extract. Ethanol extract of U. complanata showed antioxidative activity as scavenging of nitric oxide radical, free radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation inhibition with an IC50 value ranging from 0.062 to 0.27 μg/ml, which was lower than the other solvent extracts. All extract with the exception of DMSO and hexane showed inhibitory activity against bacteria and fungi. Ethyl acetate extract was found to be most efficient as MIC90 was found in the range 4.61 – 21.55 μg/ml. Acetone and ethyl acetate extract inhibited all the tested fungi with MIC values ranged from 6.25 to 100 μg/ml and 12.5 to 100 μg/ml, respectively. Cardiovascular protective and antioxidative properties were shown strong correlation with the total polyphenol content present in the extract with R2 value ranging from 0.585 to 0.927.