In Vitro Anticancer Activity and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers Status Determined by Usnea barbata (L.) F.H. Wigg. Dry Extracts

Popovici, Violeta; Bucur, Laura; Vochița, Gabriela; Gherghel, Daniela; Mihai, Cosmin Teodor; Rambu, Dan; Calcan, Suzana Ioana; Costache, Teodor; Cucolea, Elena Iulia; Matei, Elena; Badea, Florin Ciprian; Caraiane, Aureliana; Badea, Victoria

doi:10.3390/antiox10071141

Cited by 26 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 110 publications

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“…After filtration with filter paper, UBW was concentrated on a Rotavapor R-215 with a vacuum controller V-850 (BÜCHI Labortechnik AG, Flawil, Switzerland), and lyophilized with a freeze-dryer Christ Alpha 1-2L (Martin Christ Gefriertrocknungsanlagen GmbH, Osterode am Harz, Germany) connected to a vacuum pump RZ 2.5 (VACUUBRAND GmbH, Wertheim, Germany) [ 46 ]. For UBEA, UBA, UBE, and UBM, the rotary evaporator TurboVap 500 (Caliper Life Sciences Inc, Hopkinton, MA, USA) evaporated the correspondent solvents [ 41 ]. Next, each extract was kept for 16 h in a chemical exhaust hood for optimal solvent evaporation.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a representative of the Usnea genus, U. barbata has been used for thousands of years to treat various diseases, including infectious ones [ 36 ]. Its phytochemical profile [ 37 ] displays bioactive secondary metabolites as specific phenolic compounds (depsides and depsidones), dibenzofurans (usnic acid) [ 38 , 39 ], and diphenyl ethers [ 40 , 41 ]; various representatives of these structural categories proved to have significant antibacterial and antifungal properties.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Elemental Analysis and In Vitro Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Usnea barbata (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg from Călimani Mountains, Romania

Popovici

Bucur

Calcan

et al. 2021

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This study aims to complete our research on Usnea barbata (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg (U. barbata) from the Călimani Mountains, Romania, with an elemental analysis and to explore its antibacterial and antifungal potential. Thus, we analyzed twenty-three metals (Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Zn, Al, Ag, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Ni, Tl, V, Mo, Pd, Pt, Sb, As, Pb, Cd, and Hg) in dried U. barbata lichen (dUB) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). For the second study, we performed dried lichen extraction with five different solvents (ethyl acetate, acetone, ethanol, methanol, and water), obtaining five U. barbata dry extracts (UBDE). Then, using an adapted disc diffusion method (DDM), we examined their antimicrobial activity against seven bacterial species—four Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus casseliflavus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Streptococcus pneumoniae) and three Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa)—and two fungi species (Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis). Usnic acid (UA) was used as a positive control. The ICP-MS data showed a considerable Ca content (979.766 µg/g), followed by, in decreasing order, Mg, Mn, Al, Fe, and Zn. Other elements had low levels: Ba, Cu, Pb, and Cr (3.782–1.002 µg/g); insignificant amounts (<1 µg/g) of Hg and V were also found in dUB. The trace elements Ag, As, Cd, Co, Li, Tl, Mo, Pd, Pt, and Sb were below detection limits (<0.1 µg/g). The DDM results—expressed as the size (mm) of the inhibition zone diameter (IZs)—proved that the water extract did not have any inhibitory activity on any pathogens (IZs = 0 mm). Gram-positive bacteria displayed the most significant susceptibility to all other UBDE, with Enterococcus casseliflavus showing the highest level (IZs = 20–22 mm). The most susceptible Gram-negative bacterium was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (IZs = 16–20 mm); the others were insensitive to all U. barbata dry extracts (IZs = 0 mm). The inhibitory activity of UBDE and UA on Candida albicans was slightly higher than on Candida parapsilosis.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elemental Analysis and In Vitro Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Usnea barbata (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg from Călimani Mountains, Romania

Popovici

Bucur

Calcan

et al. 2021

Plants

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“…[ 10 ]. Various lichen bioactivities are due to this compound, such as gastroprotective [ 15 ], cardioprotective [ 16 ], neuroprotective [ 17 ], cytoprotective [ 18 ], cytotoxic [ 19 ], anticancer [ 20 ], antimicrobial [ 21 ], antidiabetic [ 22 ], analgesic-antipyretic [ 23 ], and anti-inflammatory [ 24 ] properties, mainly through its antioxidant action, reducing oxidative damage [ 25 ]. Some of the other phenolic metabolites previously mentioned also display different biological effects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, and Rheological Properties of Canola Oil Extract of Usnea barbata (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg from Călimani Mountains, Romania

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Bucur

Gîrd

et al. 2022

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Usnea genus (Parmeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycetes) is a potent phytomedicine, due to phenolic secondary metabolites, with various pharmacological effects. Therefore, our study aimed to explore the antioxidant, cytotoxic, and rheological properties of Usnea barbata (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg (U. barbata) extract in canola oil (UBO) compared to cold-pressed canola seed oil (CNO), as a green solvent used for lichen extraction, which has phytoconstituents. The antiradical activity (AA) of UBO and CNO was investigated using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Their cytotoxicity was examined in vivo through a brine shrimp lethality (BSL) test after Artemia salina (A. salina) larvae exposure for 6 h to previously emulsified UBO and CNO. The rheological properties of both oil samples (flow behavior, thixotropy, and temperature-dependent viscosity variation) were comparatively analyzed. The obtained results showed that UBO (IC50 = 0.942 ± 0.004 mg/mL) had a higher 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity than CNO (IC50 = 1.361 ± 0.008 mg/mL). Both UBO and CNO emulsions induced different and progressive morphological changes to A. salina larvae, incompatible with their survival; UBO cytotoxicity was higher than that of CNO. Finally, in the temperature range of 32–37 °C, the UBO and CNO viscosity and viscoelastic behavior indicated a clear weakening of the intermolecular bond when temperature increases, leading to a more liquid state, appropriate for possible pharmaceutical formulations. All quantified parameters were highly intercorrelated. Moreover, their significant correlation with trace/heavy minerals and phenolic compounds can be observed. All data obtained also suggest a possible synergism between lichen secondary metabolites, minerals, and canola oil phytoconstituents.

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“…In addition, in order to determine the cytotoxic effects of PSE and Phy treatment, reactive oxygen species (ROS) were analyzed. It is known that lichen extracts and isolated/purified secondary metabolites can change the redox status of cancer cells and ROS production or accumulation, which significantly contribute to the initiation and execution of apoptosis, resulting in cytotoxicity [31,40,41]. It is also known that ROS are needed to oxidize cytochrome c, which is then capable of efficient apoptosome formation.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pro-Apoptotic Potential of Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf Extract and Isolated Physodic Acid in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Model In Vitro

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Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most frequently diagnosed type of leukemia among children. Although chemotherapy is a common treatment for cancer, it has a wide range of serious side effects, including myelo- and immunosuppression, hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Combination therapies using natural substances are widely recommended to attenuate the adverse effects of chemotherapy. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-leukemic potential of extract from the lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf (PSE) and isolated physodic acid (Phy) in an in vitro ALL model. A screening assay, flow cytometry and Western blotting were used to analyze apoptosis occurrence, oxidative stress, DNA damage and stress/survival/apoptotic pathway modulation induced by the tested substances in Jurkat cells. We demonstrate for the first time that PSE and Phy treatment-induced intrinsic caspase-dependent cell death was associated with increased oxidative stress, DNA damage and cell cycle arrest with the activation of cell cycle checkpoint proteins p53, p21 and p27 and stress/survival kinases p38 MAPK, JNK and PI3K/Akt. Moreover, using peripheral T lymphocytes, we confirmed that PSE and Phy treatment caused minimal cytotoxicity in normal cells, and therefore, these naturally occurring lichen secondary metabolites could be promising substances for ALL therapy.

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In Vitro Anticancer Activity and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers Status Determined by Usnea barbata (L.) F.H. Wigg. Dry Extracts

Cited by 26 publications

References 110 publications

Elemental Analysis and In Vitro Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Usnea barbata (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg from Călimani Mountains, Romania

Elemental Analysis and In Vitro Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Usnea barbata (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg from Călimani Mountains, Romania

Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, and Rheological Properties of Canola Oil Extract of Usnea barbata (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg from Călimani Mountains, Romania

Pro-Apoptotic Potential of Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf Extract and Isolated Physodic Acid in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Model In Vitro

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