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Wang H, Xuan M, Huang C, Wang C. Advances in Research on Bioactivity, Toxicity, Metabolism, and Pharmacokinetics of Usnic Acid In Vitro and In Vivo. Molecules 2022; 27:7469. [PMID: 36364296 PMCID: PMC9657990 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27217469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Lichens are among the most widely distributed plants on earth and have the longest growth cycle. Usnic acid is an abundant characteristic secondary metabolite of lichens and the earliest lichen compound used commercially. It has diverse pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, antioxidant, and photoprotective effects, and promotes wound healing. It is widely used in dietary supplements, daily chemical products (fodder, dyes, food, perfumery, and cosmetics), and medicine. However, some studies have found that usnic acid can cause allergic dermatitis and drug-induced liver injury. In this paper, the bioactivity, toxicity, in vivo and in vitro metabolism, and pharmacokinetics of usnic acid were summarized. The aims were to develop and utilize usnic acid and provide reference for its future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanxue Wang
- Shanghai TCM-Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 230 Baoding Road, Shanghai 200082, China
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, China
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines and The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory for TCM Complex Prescription, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Min Xuan
- Department of Pharmacy, Qingdao Eighth People’s Hospital, 84 Fengshan Road, Qingdao 266121, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Changhong Wang
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines and The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory for TCM Complex Prescription, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, China
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Popovici V, Bucur L, Gîrd CE, Rambu D, Calcan SI, Cucolea EI, Costache T, Ungureanu-Iuga M, Oroian M, Mironeasa S, Schröder V, Ozon EA, Lupuliasa D, Caraiane A, Badea V. Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, and Rheological Properties of Canola Oil Extract of Usnea barbata (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg from Călimani Mountains, Romania. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:plants11070854. [PMID: 35406834 PMCID: PMC9002375 DOI: 10.3390/plants11070854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Usnea genus (Parmeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycetes) is a potent phytomedicine, due to phenolic secondary metabolites, with various pharmacological effects. Therefore, our study aimed to explore the antioxidant, cytotoxic, and rheological properties of Usnea barbata (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg (U. barbata) extract in canola oil (UBO) compared to cold-pressed canola seed oil (CNO), as a green solvent used for lichen extraction, which has phytoconstituents. The antiradical activity (AA) of UBO and CNO was investigated using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Their cytotoxicity was examined in vivo through a brine shrimp lethality (BSL) test after Artemia salina (A. salina) larvae exposure for 6 h to previously emulsified UBO and CNO. The rheological properties of both oil samples (flow behavior, thixotropy, and temperature-dependent viscosity variation) were comparatively analyzed. The obtained results showed that UBO (IC50 = 0.942 ± 0.004 mg/mL) had a higher 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity than CNO (IC50 = 1.361 ± 0.008 mg/mL). Both UBO and CNO emulsions induced different and progressive morphological changes to A. salina larvae, incompatible with their survival; UBO cytotoxicity was higher than that of CNO. Finally, in the temperature range of 32-37 °C, the UBO and CNO viscosity and viscoelastic behavior indicated a clear weakening of the intermolecular bond when temperature increases, leading to a more liquid state, appropriate for possible pharmaceutical formulations. All quantified parameters were highly intercorrelated. Moreover, their significant correlation with trace/heavy minerals and phenolic compounds can be observed. All data obtained also suggest a possible synergism between lichen secondary metabolites, minerals, and canola oil phytoconstituents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Popovici
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Ovidius University of Constanta, 7 Ilarie Voronca Street, 900684 Constanta, Romania; (V.P.); (V.B.)
| | - Laura Bucur
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ovidius University of Constanta, 6 Capitan Al. Serbanescu Street, 900001 Constanta, Romania
- Correspondence: (L.B.); (C.E.G.); (M.U.-I.); (M.O.); (V.S.); (E.-A.O.)
| | - Cerasela Elena Gîrd
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry and Phytotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
- Correspondence: (L.B.); (C.E.G.); (M.U.-I.); (M.O.); (V.S.); (E.-A.O.)
| | - Dan Rambu
- Research Center for Instrumental Analysis SCIENT, 1E Petre Ispirescu Street, 077167 Tâncăbești, Romania; (D.R.); (S.I.C.); (E.I.C.); (T.C.)
| | - Suzana Ioana Calcan
- Research Center for Instrumental Analysis SCIENT, 1E Petre Ispirescu Street, 077167 Tâncăbești, Romania; (D.R.); (S.I.C.); (E.I.C.); (T.C.)
| | - Elena Iulia Cucolea
- Research Center for Instrumental Analysis SCIENT, 1E Petre Ispirescu Street, 077167 Tâncăbești, Romania; (D.R.); (S.I.C.); (E.I.C.); (T.C.)
| | - Teodor Costache
- Research Center for Instrumental Analysis SCIENT, 1E Petre Ispirescu Street, 077167 Tâncăbești, Romania; (D.R.); (S.I.C.); (E.I.C.); (T.C.)
| | - Mădălina Ungureanu-Iuga
- Faculty of Food Engineering, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 13th University Street, 720229 Suceava, Romania;
- Integrated Center for Research, Development, and Innovation in Advanced Materials, Nanotechnologies and Distributed Systems for Fabrication and Control (MANSiD), Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 13th University Street, 720229 Suceava, Romania
- Correspondence: (L.B.); (C.E.G.); (M.U.-I.); (M.O.); (V.S.); (E.-A.O.)
| | - Mircea Oroian
- Faculty of Food Engineering, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 13th University Street, 720229 Suceava, Romania;
- Correspondence: (L.B.); (C.E.G.); (M.U.-I.); (M.O.); (V.S.); (E.-A.O.)
| | - Silvia Mironeasa
- Faculty of Food Engineering, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 13th University Street, 720229 Suceava, Romania;
| | - Verginica Schröder
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ovidius University of Constanta, 6 Capitan Al. Serbanescu Street, 900001 Constanta, Romania
- Correspondence: (L.B.); (C.E.G.); (M.U.-I.); (M.O.); (V.S.); (E.-A.O.)
| | - Emma-Adriana Ozon
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, Romania;
- Correspondence: (L.B.); (C.E.G.); (M.U.-I.); (M.O.); (V.S.); (E.-A.O.)
| | - Dumitru Lupuliasa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Aureliana Caraiane
- Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Ovidius University of Constanta, 7 Ilarie Voronca Street, 900684 Constanta, Romania;
| | - Victoria Badea
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Ovidius University of Constanta, 7 Ilarie Voronca Street, 900684 Constanta, Romania; (V.P.); (V.B.)
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Usnic Acid and Usnea barbata (L.) F.H. Wigg. Dry Extracts Promote Apoptosis and DNA Damage in Human Blood Cells through Enhancing ROS Levels. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10081171. [PMID: 34439420 PMCID: PMC8388874 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10081171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, numerous biomedical studies performed on natural compounds and plant extracts aim to obtain highly selective pharmacological activities without unwanted toxic effects. In the big world of medicinal plants, Usnea barbata (L) F.H. Wigg (U. barbata) and usnic acid (UA) are well-known for their therapeutical properties. One of the most studied properties is their cytotoxicity on various tumor cells. This work aims to evaluate their cytotoxic potential on normal blood cells. Three dry U. barbata extracts in various solvents: ethyl acetate (UBEA), acetone (UBA), and ethanol (UBE) were prepared. From UBEA we isolated usnic acid with high purity by semipreparative chromatography. Then, UA, UBA, and UBE dissolved in 1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and diluted in four concentrations were tested for their toxicity on human blood cells. The blood samples were collected from a healthy non-smoker donor; the obtained blood cell cultures were treated with the tested samples. After 24 h, the cytotoxic effect was analyzed through the mechanisms that can cause cell death: early and late apoptosis, caspase 3/7 activity, nuclear apoptosis, autophagy, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and DNA damage. Generally, the cytotoxic effect was directly proportional to the increase of concentrations, usnic acid inducing the most significant response. At high concentrations, usnic acid and U. barbata extracts induced apoptosis and DNA damage in human blood cells, increasing ROS levels. Our study reveals the importance of prior natural products toxicity evaluation on normal cells to anticipate their limits and benefits as potential anticancer drugs.
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