Antimicrobial and toxicological activities of some depsides and depsidones

 Four depsides, namely, atranorin, lecanoric acid, erythrin, sekikaic acid and the depsidone lobaric acid were screened for their microbial activity against six bacterial species and six fungal species with respect to standards. The depside sekikaic acid and the depsidone lobaric acid showed potent activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella typhi compared to the standard imipenum. Although the depsides atranorin, lecanoric acid and erythrin showed insignificant antimicrobial activity, their hydrolytic products such as methyl orsellinate and methyl-β-orcinolcarboxylate showed significant antifungal activity. Toxicological studies of these compounds were carried out using brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay.

Keywords: Antimicrobial activity, depsides, depsidones, lichen substances.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jnsfsr.v40i1.4167

J.Natn.Sci.Foundation Sri Lanka 2012 40(1):43-48