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In the year 2019–2020, the whole world witnessed the spread of a disease called COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2. A number of effective drugs and vaccine has been formulated to combat this outbreak. For the development of anti-COVID-19 drugs, the main protease (Mpro) is considered a key target as it has rare mutations and plays a crucial role in the replication of the SARS CoV-2. In this study, a library of selected lichen compounds was prepared and used for virtual screening against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro using molecular docking, and several hits as potential inhibitors were identified. Remdesivir was used as a standard inhibitor of Mpro for its comparison with the identified hits. Twenty-six compounds were identified as potential hits against Mpro, and these were subjected to in silico ADMET property prediction, and the compounds having favorable properties were selected for further analysis. After manual inspection of their interaction with the binding pocket of Mpro and binding affinity score, four compounds, namely, variolaric acid, cryptostictinolide, gyrophoric acid, and usnic acid, were selected for molecular dynamics study to evaluate the stability of complex. The molecular dynamics results indicated that except cryptostictinolide, all the three compounds made a stable complex with Mpro throughout a 100-ns simulation time period. Among all, usnic acid seems to be more stable and effective against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. In summary, our findings suggest that usnic acid, variolaric acid, and gyrophoric acid have potential to inhibit SARS-Cov-2 Mpro and act as a lead compounds for the development of antiviral drug candidates against SARS-CoV-2. Graphical Abstract

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) has been scientifically proven to cause skin disorders such as sunburn, skin cancer and the symptoms of chronic exposure. Natural sun screening compounds have recently gained tremendous attention from the cosmetic and cosmeceutical sectors for treating skin disorders such as hyperpigmentation and aging. A wide range of natural UV-absorbing compounds have been used to replace or reduce the number of synthetic sunscreen molecules. One of the primary causes of photoaging is DNA damage, mainly caused by UVR. Photoprotection provided by traditional sunscreens is purely preventative and has no efficacy after DNA damage has been initiated. As a result, the quest for DNA-repair mechanisms that block, reverse, or postpone pathologic processes in UV-exposed skin has stimulated anti-photoaging research and methods to increase the effectiveness of traditional sunscreens. This review summarizes many natural compounds from microalgae, lichens, and plants that have demonstrated potential photoprotection effects against UV radiation-induced skin damage. Furthermore, it offers an overview of current breakthroughs in DNA-repair enzymes utilized in sunscreens and their influence on photoaging.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaching the Earth’s surface is a major societal concern, and therefore, there is a significant consumer demand for cosmetics formulated to mitigate the harmful effects of UV radiation. Synthetic sunscreens being formulated to block UV penetration include inorganic metal oxide particles and organic filters. Lately, organic UV-absorbing compounds are manufactured from non-renewable petrochemicals and, as a result, there is a need to develop a sustainable manufacturing process for efficient, high-level production of a naturally occurring group of UV-absorbing compounds, namely mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), for use as a sunscreen additive to skincare products. Currently, the commercial production of MAAs for use in sunscreens is not a viable proposition due to the low yield and the lack of fermentation technology associated with native MAA-producing organisms. This review summarizes the biochemical properties of MAAs, the biosynthetic gene clusters and transcriptional regulations, the associated carbon-flux-driving processes, and the host selection and biosynthetic strategies, with the aim to expand our understanding on engineering suitable cyanobacteria for cost-effective production of natural sunscreens in future practices.

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