Usnic Acid Derivatives with Cytotoxic and Antifungal Activities from the Lichen Usnea longissima

J Nat Prod. 2016 May 27;79(5):1373-80. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.6b00109. Epub 2016 May 17.

Abstract

Eight usnic acid derivatives, that is, usenamines A-F (1-6), usone (7), and isousone (8), together with the known (+)-usnic acid (9), were isolated from the lichen Usnea longissima. Their structures were elucidated using 1D and 2D NMR and MS data, and the absolute configurations of compounds 1 and 2 were defined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Compounds 1, 2, and 8 showed inhibitory effects on the growth of human hepatoma HepG2 cells with IC50 values of 6.0-53.3 μM compared with methotrexate as the positive control, which had an IC50 value of 15.8 μM. Furthermore, 1 induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations of 0-15.0 μM. The isolated compounds were also evaluated for their antifungal and antibacterial activities, with 7 and 8 exhibiting weak inhibitory effects on fungal Trichophyton rubrum spp. with an MIC value of 41.0 μM.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Antifungal Agents / chemistry
  • Antifungal Agents / isolation & purification*
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / isolation & purification*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Benzofurans / chemistry
  • Benzofurans / isolation & purification*
  • Benzofurans / pharmacology*
  • Candida / drug effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / chemistry
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / isolation & purification*
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / pharmacology*
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • Methotrexate / pharmacology
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Trichophyton / drug effects
  • Usnea / chemistry*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antifungal Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Benzofurans
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal
  • usnic acid
  • Methotrexate