Comparative Study on the Antimicrobial Activities and Metabolic Profiles of Five <i>Usnea</i> Species from the Philippines
The rapid emergence of resistant bacteria is occurring worldwide, endangering the efficacy of antibiotics. Hence, there is a need to search for new sources of antibiotics that either exhibit novel structures or express a new mechanism of action. The lichen <i>Usnea</i>, with its wide ran...
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Fungi |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/9/11/1117 |
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| author | Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz Lawrence P. Timbreza Ek Sangvichien Kin Israel R. Notarte Krystle Angelique A. Santiago |
| author_facet | Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz Lawrence P. Timbreza Ek Sangvichien Kin Israel R. Notarte Krystle Angelique A. Santiago |
| author_sort | Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The rapid emergence of resistant bacteria is occurring worldwide, endangering the efficacy of antibiotics. Hence, there is a need to search for new sources of antibiotics that either exhibit novel structures or express a new mechanism of action. The lichen <i>Usnea</i>, with its wide range of unique, biologically potent secondary metabolites, may solve this problem. In this study, <i>Usnea</i> species were collected in the Northern Philippines, identified through combined morphological and biochemical characterization, and tested for antimicrobial activities against the multidrug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens, i.e., <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>, <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>, <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, and <i>Enterobacter cloacae</i>, two standard antibiotic-sensitive test bacteria, and a yeast. A total of 46 lichen specimens were collected and later identified as <i>Usnea baileyi</i> (10), <i>U. diffracta</i> (10), <i>U. glabrata</i> (12), <i>U. longissima</i> (4), and <i>U. rubicunda</i> (10). The results show that the crude extracts of the <i>Usnea</i> species exhibited promising in vitro inhibitory activities against standard antibiotic-sensitive (<i>E. faecalis</i> ATCC 29212) and multidrug-resistant (methicillin-resistant <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>E. faecalis</i>) Gram-positive bacteria. Additionally, lichen compounds of representative specimens per species were identified and profiled using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The detection of lichen acids (LA) via HPLC showed the presence of 24 peaks of lichen acids. TLC-bioautography identified the bioactive lichen acids as alectronic acid, connorstictic acid, consalazinic acid, diffractaic acid, echinocarpic acid, erythrin acid, galbinic acid, hypoconstictic acid, hyposalazinic acid, hypostictic acid, lobaric acid, menegazzaic acid, micareic acid, pannarin, salazinic acid, stictic acid, and usnic acid. Our study highlighted the wide spectrum of opportunities for using lichens for the discovery of potential antimicrobial agents. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:41:31Z |
| format | Article |
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| spelling | doaj.art-d67ff6afda8240dfae66e7e55c13ed2e2023-11-24T14:51:13ZengMDPI AGJournal of Fungi2309-608X2023-11-01911111710.3390/jof9111117Comparative Study on the Antimicrobial Activities and Metabolic Profiles of Five <i>Usnea</i> Species from the PhilippinesThomas Edison E. dela Cruz0Lawrence P. Timbreza1Ek Sangvichien2Kin Israel R. Notarte3Krystle Angelique A. Santiago4The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, España Blvd., Manila 1015, PhilippinesThe Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, España Blvd., Manila 1015, PhilippinesDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Hua Mark Bangkapi, Bangkok 10240, ThailandFungal Biodiversity, Ecogenomics and Systematics-Metabolomics (FBeS) Group, Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, España Blvd., Manila 1015, PhilippinesSchool of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway 47500, MalaysiaThe rapid emergence of resistant bacteria is occurring worldwide, endangering the efficacy of antibiotics. Hence, there is a need to search for new sources of antibiotics that either exhibit novel structures or express a new mechanism of action. The lichen <i>Usnea</i>, with its wide range of unique, biologically potent secondary metabolites, may solve this problem. In this study, <i>Usnea</i> species were collected in the Northern Philippines, identified through combined morphological and biochemical characterization, and tested for antimicrobial activities against the multidrug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens, i.e., <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>, <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>, <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, and <i>Enterobacter cloacae</i>, two standard antibiotic-sensitive test bacteria, and a yeast. A total of 46 lichen specimens were collected and later identified as <i>Usnea baileyi</i> (10), <i>U. diffracta</i> (10), <i>U. glabrata</i> (12), <i>U. longissima</i> (4), and <i>U. rubicunda</i> (10). The results show that the crude extracts of the <i>Usnea</i> species exhibited promising in vitro inhibitory activities against standard antibiotic-sensitive (<i>E. faecalis</i> ATCC 29212) and multidrug-resistant (methicillin-resistant <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>E. faecalis</i>) Gram-positive bacteria. Additionally, lichen compounds of representative specimens per species were identified and profiled using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The detection of lichen acids (LA) via HPLC showed the presence of 24 peaks of lichen acids. TLC-bioautography identified the bioactive lichen acids as alectronic acid, connorstictic acid, consalazinic acid, diffractaic acid, echinocarpic acid, erythrin acid, galbinic acid, hypoconstictic acid, hyposalazinic acid, hypostictic acid, lobaric acid, menegazzaic acid, micareic acid, pannarin, salazinic acid, stictic acid, and usnic acid. Our study highlighted the wide spectrum of opportunities for using lichens for the discovery of potential antimicrobial agents.https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/9/11/1117bioactivitiesESKAPE pathogensfruticose lichenslichen acidssecondary metabolites |
| spellingShingle | Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz Lawrence P. Timbreza Ek Sangvichien Kin Israel R. Notarte Krystle Angelique A. Santiago Comparative Study on the Antimicrobial Activities and Metabolic Profiles of Five <i>Usnea</i> Species from the Philippines Journal of Fungi bioactivities ESKAPE pathogens fruticose lichens lichen acids secondary metabolites |
| title | Comparative Study on the Antimicrobial Activities and Metabolic Profiles of Five <i>Usnea</i> Species from the Philippines |
| title_full | Comparative Study on the Antimicrobial Activities and Metabolic Profiles of Five <i>Usnea</i> Species from the Philippines |
| title_fullStr | Comparative Study on the Antimicrobial Activities and Metabolic Profiles of Five <i>Usnea</i> Species from the Philippines |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative Study on the Antimicrobial Activities and Metabolic Profiles of Five <i>Usnea</i> Species from the Philippines |
| title_short | Comparative Study on the Antimicrobial Activities and Metabolic Profiles of Five <i>Usnea</i> Species from the Philippines |
| title_sort | comparative study on the antimicrobial activities and metabolic profiles of five i usnea i species from the philippines |
| topic | bioactivities ESKAPE pathogens fruticose lichens lichen acids secondary metabolites |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/9/11/1117 |
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