Kaw, Anne Bernadette S.

3Bio4
The anti-cancer properties of foliose endolichens
Lichens, the symbiotic relationship of specialized fungi associated with algae, exist in
a wide range of habitats throughout the world and dominating about 8% of terrestrial
ecosystems (Nayaka, Upreti, & Khare, 2010). Lichens and their metabolites exhibit
antifungal, antimicrobial, antitumor, antiproliferative, and antiviral properties (Huneck,
1999). Usnic acid and atranorin are just some of the components that exhibit anticancer
properties, particularly on breast cancer cells.
In a study conducted Bakorova, Bakorb, Mikea, Jendelovska, and Fedorokoa,
(2011), the suppression of viability and cell proliferation by usnic acid or atranorin was
found to be more efficient at equitoxic doses and correlated more strongly with an
increased number of floating cells or a higher apoptotic index.
Mitrovic, et al. (2011) investigated the anticancer properties, antitumor and
antiproliferative

properties

of

Hypogymnia

physodes

and

Cladonia

foliacea.

Hypogymnia physodes was found to be abundant in phenolic compounds and its

antioxidative power could be considered as a cotreatment with some stronger cytotoxic
agents, chemotherapy agents.
Another study investigating the genotoxic activity of Hypogymnia physodes was
conducted by Ari, et al. (2014) and the results indicate that H. physodes has an antigrowth effect of cancer cells at relatively lower concentrations, while relatively higher
concentrations are required for genotoxic activity. In addition, the amount of usnic acid
present in various Hypogymnia species is also responsible for its antioxidant properties.

Usnic acid, together with atranorin, produces the antioxidant properties of Cladonia
foliacea (Yilmaz, Trk, Tay, & Kivan, 2004).
Atranorin induced apoptosis in breast carcinomas (4T1) with the activation of effector
caspase-3. atranorin has antiproliferative effects on cancer 4T1 cells at relatively low
concentrations. (Koptaikov, et al., 2013).
Usnic acid is an active compound mainly found in lichens. According to Song et al.
(2012), tumor growth depends on angiogenesis and inducing angiogenesis is one of the
hallmarks in cancer development. In a mouse xenograft tumor model, usnic acid was
found to suppress Bcap-37 breast tumor growth and angiogenesis without affecting the
body weight. In addition, usnic acid inhibited Bcap-37 tumor cell proliferation.
Chitosan is a component found in the cell walls and mycelia, stalks, and spores of
Basidiomycetes, Ascomycetes, and Phycomycetes (Logesh, Thillaimaharani, Sharmila,
Kalaiselvam, & Raffi, 2012).
Among the strains isolated from the lichen (R. montagnei), A. niger was considered
as a potential candidate for the chitosan product . The study also showed that chitosan
derivatives inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in breast cancer cells. (Jiang,
et al., 2011).

References
Ari, F., Celikler, S., Oran, S., Balikci, N., Ozturk,S., Ozel, M.Z., Ulukaya, E. (2014).
Genotoxic, cytotoxic, and apoptotic effects of Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl. on
breast cancer cells. Environ. Toxicol., 29, 804813. doi: 10.1002/tox.21809
Bakorova, M., Bakorb, M., Mikea, J., Jendelovska, R., & Fedorokoa, P. (2011).
Variable responses of different human cancer cells to the lichen compounds parietin,

atranorin, usnic acid and gyrophoric acid. Toxicology In vitro, 25(1), 37-44.
doi:10.1016/j.tiv.2010.09.004
Huneck, S. (1999).The Significance of Lichens and their metabolites.
Naturwissenschaften, 86(12), 559-570. Retrieved from
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs001140050676?LI=true
Jiang, M., Handong, O., Ruan, P., Zhao, H., Zhenjun, P., Huang, S., Crepin, M.
(2011). Chitosan derivatives inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in breast
cancer cells. Anticancer Research, 31(4), 1321-1328. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21508382
Koptaikov, L. Solar, P., Jendzelovsky, R., Uhrinova, M., Ferenc, P., Backor, M.,
Hrkova, G. (2013). Anticancer and antiproliferative effects of atranorin on mammary
cancer 4T1 and normal NMuMG cells. Drug Discovery and World Therapy World
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Logesh, A.R., Thillaimaharani, K.A., Sharmila, K., Kalaiselvam, M., & Raffi, S.M. (2012).
Production of chitosan from endolichenic fungi isolated from mangrove environment
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Mitrovic, T., Stamenkovi , S., Cvetkovi, V., Toi, S., Stankovi , M., Radojevi, I
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lichen species, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 12, 5428-5448.
doi:10.3390/ijms12085428
Nayaka, S., Upreti, D. K., & Khare, R. (2010). Medicinal lichens of India. Drugs from
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http://www.researchgate.net/publication/259391362_MEDICINAL_LICHENS_OF_INDI
A
Song, Y., Dai, F., Zhai, D., Dong, Y., Zhang, J., Lu, B., Yi, Z. (2012). Usnic acid inhibits
breast tumor angiogenesis and growth by suppressing VEGFR2-mediated AKT and
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the lichen Cladonia foliacea and its (-)-usnic acid, atranorin, and fumarprotocetraric
acid constituents. Unbound Medline, 59, 249-254. Retrieved from
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y_of_extracts_of_the_lichen_Cladonia_foliacea_and_its_____usnic_acid_atranorin_a
nd_fumarprotocetraric_acid_constituents_