Abstract: Usnic acid (UA) is a commercially available lichen metabolite. Its biological activity is diverse. Its broad occurrence in various lichen species, simple isolation procedure, and high optical purity of the isolated product make it promising as a base for developing novel pharmaceuticals. To date, scientific progress has made it possible to expand the scope of applications of UA and comprehend the biological mechanisms mediating its action. This review of the biological activity of UA and its derivatives summarizes publications of the recent decade. New data on the mechanisms of UA action on living organisms are discussed, and ways to modify its biological activity by altering its chemical structure and to control its bioavailability are considered. Special attention is paid to prospects of using semisynthetic UA derivatives as pharmacological agents. Data on the influence of the enantiopurity of UA on its biological activity are analyzed. The first part of the review is dedicated to UA biosynthesis and the biological action of UA and its derivatives on unicellular organisms.

Cite: Luzina O.A. , Salakhutdinov N.F.
Biological activity of usnic acid and its derivatives: Part 1. Activity against unicellular organisms
Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry. 2016. V.42. N2. P.115-132. DOI: 10.1134/S1068162016020084 WOS Scopus РИНЦ

Dates:

Published print:	Mar 1, 2016
Published online:	Apr 7, 2016

Identifiers:

Web of science	WOS:000373961400001
Scopus	2-s2.0-84962670044
Elibrary	26990042
OpenAlex	W2329939198

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