Lichentherapy: Highlights on the Pharmaceutical Potentials of Lichens

Authors: Elkhateeb WA*, Elnahas MO and Daba GM

DOI: 10.23880/oajmb-16000190

Volume 6, Issue 2

Abstract

Lichens exist in every continent and have a history of being used as food, medicine, a source of dyes and animal feed. Lichens are now being used as natural indicators of climate change and for air quality monitoring worldwide. Lichens play an important role in many ecosystems and exist as a symbiotic association between fungi and algae or cyanobacteria. This symbiosis results in the production of unique secondary metabolites known as lichen substances, which arise within the thalli and are typically in crystal form on the surface of the fungal hyphae. Recently, lichens and their secondary metabolites have been receiving increased attention due to their nutritional value and pharmaceutical potential. This review aims to highlight on the importance and variety of common lichen substances (secondary metabolites). Finally, the commercialization of lichens is growing but, in the future, metabolic and biotechnological approaches can be used as an alternative product to overcome the limited availability of biologically active, commercially valuable and medicinally important secondary metabolite components.

Keywords: Lichens; Pharmaceutical Activities; Biological Activities

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