Lichens are a stable symbiotic association between photobiont (algae and/or cyanobacteria) and mycobiont (fungi). They are utilized in traditional medicine for ages and documented in various pharmacopeia throughout the world. India is having a rich diversity of lichen species represented by about 2400 species. The tribal inhabitant around forests and other difficult terrains acquired unique knowledge about the use of much wide flora and fauna. Most of these are either lesser known or unknown to the outside world. The treasure of traditional knowledge if subjected to scientific scrutiny could benefit humankind in many ways. They produce unique secondary metabolites through various metabolic pathways and are known to exhibit a wide array of bioactivities. We have reviewed the literature for traditional knowledge of the lichen species and biological activities reported to study its inter-relationship. It was observed that that still a major percentage of lichens have remained unexplored. These lichens may have immense potential; and if analysed could be used in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic industries, and many more.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.