Biological activities of four Parmotrema species of Malaysian origin and their chemical constituents

The present study was carried out to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant potential of acetone and methanol extracts of lichen (Parmotrema praesorediosum, P. rampoddense, P. tinctorum and P. reticulatum) and isolated chemical constituents which are praesorediosic acid, protocetraric acid, usnic acid, α-collatolic acid, β-alectoronic acid, atranorin and chloroatranorin. The antibacterial activity was evaluated using broth dilution method. Acetone extracts (except for P. reticulatum) showed good inhibitory activity against S. aureus and B. subtilis with MIC values ranging from 500-125 μg/mL, whereas, no activity was observed for the methanol extracts. Extracts exhibited zero inhibitory activity against E. coli. The antioxidant ability was measured using a DPPH free radical scavenging activity assay. Only methanol extract of P. praesorediosum exhibited more than 50% scavenging activity. Among the isolates, usnic acid exhibited the strongest antibacterial activity against S. aureus and B. subtilis with MIC value 7.81 μg/mL. Praesorediosic acid and protocetraric acid isolates exclusively inhibited E. coli at concentration 125 μg/mL and displayed results exceeding 50% scavenging activity (57.57% and 63.97%, respectively). Hitherto, it is the first evaluation of antibacterial activity on lichens of Malaysian origin and to our knowledge; the first reported study on the biological activity of praesorediosic acid and Parmotrema rampoddense.