Parmotrema is one of the larger genera segregated from Parmelia s. lat. Additional genera recently have been segregated from this large genus based mainly on morphological and chemical features. We have employed molecular data from three genes to continue a revision of the generic concept within the parmelioid lichens. A Bayesian analysis of nuclear ITS, LSU rDNA and mitochondrial SSU rDNA sequences was performed. The genera Canomaculina, Concamerella, Parmelaria and Rimelia appear nested within Parmotrema. Alternative hypotheses to maintain the independence of Canomaculina, Concamerella and Rimelia are shown to be highly unlikely and are rejected. As a consequence these three genera are reduced to synonymy with Parmotrema. An alternative topology segregating Parmelaria from Parmotrema s. lat. cannot be rejected with the dataset at hand. However we have established that this genus is closely related to Parmotrema rather than to cetrarioid species as was considered previously. The revised genus Parmotrema includes species that have an upper cortex consisting of a palisade plectenchyma or rarely paraplectenchyma with vaults, have a pored or fenestrated epicortex, lack pseudocyphellae, have or lack cilia, have laminal, perforate or eperforate apothecia, usually have simple rhizines and filiform, cylindrical, bacilliform or sublageniform conidia. It is closely related to Flavoparmelia but the status of these genera requires further investigation. Nineteen new combinations are made.

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Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Argentina, Colletotrichum araujiae on leaves, stems and fruits of Araujia hortorum. Australia, Agaricus pateritonsus on soil, Curvularia fraserae on dying leaf of Bothriochloa insculpta, Curvularia millisiae from yellowing leaf tips of Cyperus aromaticus, Marasmius brunneolorobustus on well-rotted wood, Nigrospora cooperae from necrotic leaf of Heteropogon contortus, Penicillium tealii from the body of a dead spider, Pseudocercospora robertsiorum from leaf spots of Senna tora, Talaromyces atkinsoniae from gills of Marasmius crinis-equi and Zasmidium pearceae from leaf spots of Smilax glyciphylla. Brazil, Preussia bezerrensis from air. Chile, Paraconiothyrium kelleni from the rhizosphere of Fragaria chiloensis subsp. chiloensis f. chiloensis. Finland, Inocybe udicola on soil in mixed forest with Betula pendula, Populus tremula, Picea abies and Alnus incana. France, Myrmecridium normannianum on dead culm of unidentified Poaceae. Germany, Vexillomyces fraxinicola from symptomless stem wood of Fraxinus excelsior. India, Diaporthe limoniae on infected fruit of Limonia acidissima, Didymella naikii on leaves of Cajanus cajan, and Fulvifomes mangroviensis on basal trunk of Aegiceras corniculatum. Indonesia, Penicillium ezekielii from Zea mays kernels. Namibia, Neocamarosporium calicoremae and Neocladosporium calicoremae on stems of Calicorema capitata, and Pleiochaeta adenolobi on symptomatic leaves of Adenolobus pechuelii. Netherlands, Chalara pteridii on stems of Pteridium aquilinum, Neomackenziella juncicola (incl. Neomackenziella gen. nov.) and Sporidesmiella junci from dead culms of Juncus effusus. Pakistan, Inocybe longistipitata on soil in a Quercus forest. Poland, Phytophthora viadrina from rhizosphere soil of Quercus robur, and Septoria krystynae on leaf spots of Viscum album. Portugal (Azores), Acrogenospora stellata on dead wood or bark. South Africa, Phyllactinia greyiae on leaves of Greyia sutherlandii and Punctelia anae on bark of Vachellia karroo. Spain, Anteaglonium lusitanicum on decaying wood of Prunus lusitanica subsp. lusitanica, Hawksworthiomyces riparius from fluvial sediments, Lophiostoma carabassense endophytic in roots of Limbarda crithmoides, and Tuber mohedanoi from calcareus soils. Spain (Canary Islands), Mycena laurisilvae on stumps and woody debris. Sweden, Elaphomyces geminus from soil under Quercus robur. Thailand, Lactifluus chiangraiensis on soil under Pinus merkusii, Lactifluus nakhonphanomensis and Xerocomus sisongkhramensis on soil under Dipterocarpus trees. Ukraine, Valsonectria robiniae on dead twigs of Robinia hispida. USA, Spiralomyces americanus (incl. Spiralomyces gen. nov.) from office air. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes.

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Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are multifactorial disorders which are increasing in incidence and prevalence over the world without existing effective therapies. The search for new multitarget compounds is the latter therapeutic strategy to address these pathological conditions. Lichens have an important and unknown therapeutic value attributed to their unique secondary metabolites. The aim of this study is to evaluate for the first time the in vitro neuroprotective activities and molecular mechanisms underlying methanol extracts of lichens of the parmelioid clade and to characterize major bioactive secondary metabolites responsible for their pharmacological actions. Of the 15 parmelioid lichen species, our results showed that Parmotrema perlatum and Hypotrachyna formosana methanol extracts exhibited high antioxidant activity as evidenced in ORAC, DPPH, and FRAP assays. Then, SH-SY5Y cells were pretreated with methanol extracts (24 h) followed by Fenton reagent exposure (2 h). Pretreatments with these two more antioxidant methanol lichen extracts increased cell viability, reduced intracellular ROS, prevented oxidative stress biomarkers accumulation, and upregulated antioxidant enzyme (CAT, SOD, GR, and GPx) activity compared to Fenton reagent cells. The neuroprotective activity was much higher for H. formosana than for P. perlatum, even equal to or higher than Trolox (reference compound). Moreover, H. formosana extracts inhibited both AChE and BuChE activities in a concentration dependent manner, and P. perlatum only showed concentration dependent activity against AChE. Finally, chemical composition analysis using TLC and HPLC methods revealed that physodic acid, lividic acid, and lichexanthone are major secondary metabolites in H. formosana and stictic acid and constictic acid are in P. perlatum. These results demonstrated that P. perlatum and, specially, H. formosana are promising multitargeted neuroprotective agents due to their antioxidant and AChE and BuChE inhibition activities.