Aim:The identifi cation and evaluation of lichen metabolite production by the epiphytic lichenized ascomycete Ramalina lacera collected from diff erent substrates: Crataegus sinaicus, Pinus halepensis, and Quercus calliprinos.Methods: Chemical constituents were characterized by GC-MS, HPLC, HR-TLC, and other chemical methods.
Results:The most abundant fatty acids were α-linolenic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid but a considerable variability of the ester composition from one to another was found. A comparison of neutral lipids, glycolipids, polar lipids and fatty acid composition of the tree-growing lichen Ramalina lacera was done. Diacylglyceryl-N,N,N-trimethylhomoserine, diaclyglycerylhydroxymethyl-N,N,N-trimethyl-β-alanine, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylinositol were found as major components among polar lipids. Diff ractaic, lecanoric, norstictic, protocetric, and usnic acids were isolated as major aromatic compounds in all samples of R. lacera.Conclusions: We evaluated a diversity of fatty acids, lipids, and aromatic compounds produced by the samples of Ramalina lacera growing on diff erent tree-substrates, Crataegus sinaicus, Pinus halepensis and Quercus calliprinos.