Studies on antioxidant activities of some lichen metabolites developed in vitro

Abstract

The oxidative metabolism of all the living organisms plants, microorganisms and humans continuously produces oxygen centered free radicals and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo, causing cell death and tissue damage which ultimately leads to many health problems like carcinogenesis, coronary heart disease, ageing, atherosclerosis, stroke, diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinsonism. Every living organism has a defense system of endogenous antioxidants to combat the reactive species. These are the substances which terminate direct ROS attacks and radical-mediated oxidative reactions, and appear to be of primary importance in the prevention of diseases. But due to limited amount of endogenous antioxidants or excess production of reactive species, exogenous antioxidants are required. Minimizing the oxidative damage may well be one of the most important approaches for primary prevention of these age-associated diseases and health problems. Most of the commercially available antioxidants are synthetic ones and reported for their toxicity and carcinogenicity. So products from natural origin are came in to the light and are now considered as an alternative to the arsenal of synthetic antioxidants for the treatment of severe chronic diseases. Lichens are the symbiotic organisms composed of a fungal partner (mycobiont) in association with one or more photosynthetic partner (photobiont). They are supposed to be the most unexploited organisms on our planet. The adaptability of these organisms to extreme environmental conditions, particularly to temperature-induced ones, is of much interest for the new and effective therapeutic compounds.