title: Protocetraric acid: an excellent broad spectrum compound from the lichen Usnea albopunctata against medically important microbes.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial property of the compounds present in the lichen Usnea albopunctata. Ethyl acetate extract of the lichen was purified by column chromatography to yield a major compound which was characterised by spectroscopic methods as protocetraric acid. In this study, protocetraric acid recorded significant broad spectrum antimicrobial property against medically important human pathogenic microbes. The prominent antibacterial activity was recorded against Salmonella typhi (0.5 μg/mL). Significant antifungal activity was recorded against Trichophyton rubrum (1 μg/mL), which is significantly better that the standard antifungal agent. Protocetraric acid is reported here for the first time from U. albopunctata. Thus the results of this study suggest that protocetraric acid has significant antimicrobial activities and has a strong potential to be developed as an antimicrobial drug against pathogenic microbes.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Crop Protection/Division of Crop Utilization, Central Tuber Crops Research Institute , Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram 695017 , India.
authors.forename: Kumar S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Nishanth
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Sreerag
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Deepa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mohandas
authors.forename: Bala
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nambisan
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006575:Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015394:Molecular Structure; D020949:Usnea / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D006575:Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring; C578352:protocetraric acid
keywords: antimicrobial activity; broad spectrum; lichen; protocetraric acid