International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences

International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences ISSN 2167-0404 Vol. 10 (6), pp. 001-007, June, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Lipid peroxidation and tyrosinase inhibition by lichen symbionts grown in vitro

Neeraj Verma, Bhaskar C. Behera*, Anjali Sonone and Urmila Makhija

Plant Science Division, Agharkar Research Institute, G.G. Agarkar Road, Pune- 411 004, India

Accepted 25 April, 2020

Abstract

The symbionts of lichen species Arthothelium awasthii, Heterodermia podocarpa, and Parmotrema tinctorum were isolated and cultured on various nutrient media incubated in a growth chamber. Methanolic extracts of one year old symbiont cultures were taken for evaluating their potential to inhibit lipid peroxidation and tyrosinase enzyme activity. The extracts of all cultured lichen-symbionts have shown a concentration-time dependent inhibition of lipid peroxidation and tyrosinase activities. IC₅₀ values for inhibition of lipid peroxidation by culture-extracts were 15.7 µg for A. awasthii, 12.68 µg for H. podocarpa and 11.47 µg for P. tinctorum. Testing the impact of the extracts on tyrosinase activity, we found IC₅₀ of 8.71 µg (A. awasthii), 14.55 µg (H. podocarpa) and 12.44 µg (P. tinctorum). According to their IC₅₀ the tested extracts turned out to be more effective for the tested parameters than the standard antioxidant Trolox (IC₅₀ for lipid peroxidation 16.13 µg) and Kojic acid tyrosinase inhibitor (IC₅₀ for tyrosinase inhibition 17.63 µg). The results suggest possible applications of lichen substances in the extracts of A. awasthii, H. podocarpa, and P. tinctorum symbionts as natural tyrosinase inhibitors.

Keyword: Lichen culture, Tyrosinase inhibition