Antioxidant and antidiabetic activity and phytoconstituents of lichen extracts with temperate and polar distribution

The objective of this research was to characterize the chemical composition of ethanolic extracts of the lichen species Placopsis contortuplicata, Ochrolechia frigida, and Umbilicaria antarctica, their antioxidant activity, and enzymatic inhibition through in vitro and molecular docking analysis. In...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in Pharmacology
Main Authors: Alfredo Torres-Benítez, José Erick Ortega-Valencia, Nicolás Jara-Pinuer, Marta Sanchez, Gabriel Vargas-Arana, María Pilar Gómez-Serranillos, Mario J. Simirgiotis
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1251856
https://doaj.org/article/303cb6c51aad4cd0af3d0ec104f1bf0e
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Summary:The objective of this research was to characterize the chemical composition of ethanolic extracts of the lichen species Placopsis contortuplicata, Ochrolechia frigida, and Umbilicaria antarctica, their antioxidant activity, and enzymatic inhibition through in vitro and molecular docking analysis. In total phenol content, FRAP, ORAC, and DPPH assays, the extracts showed significant antioxidant activity, and in in vitro assays for the inhibition of pancreatic lipase, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase enzymes, together with in silico studies for the prediction of pharmacokinetic properties, toxicity risks, and intermolecular interactions of compounds, the extracts evidenced inhibitory potential. A total of 13 compounds were identified by UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS in P. contortuplicata, 18 compounds in O. frigida, and 12 compounds in U. antarctica. This study contributes to the knowledge of the pool of bioactive compounds present in lichens of temperate and polar distribution and biological characteristics that increase interest in the discovery of natural products that offer alternatives for treatment studies of diseases related to oxidative stress and metabolic syndrome.