In vitrocytotoxic activities of (+)-usnic acid and (−)-usnic acid on V79, A549, and human lymphocyte cells and their non-genotoxicity on human lymphocytes

Abstract

This study investigates cytotoxic and genotoxic activities of (+)-Usnic acid and (-)-usnic acid isolated from the lichen Ramalina farinacea and the lichen Cladonia foliacea, respectively. To determine the activities of these acids, we used the MTT assay on V79 (Chinese hamster lung fibroblast like) and A549 (human lung carcinoma epithelial like) cell lines and cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus (CBMN) assay in human lymphocytes in vitro. Our results suggest that both enantiomers of usnic acid are non-genotoxic shown by the absence of micronucleus induction in human lymphocytes and have significant cytotoxic and apoptotic effects to induce cell killing in cultured human lymphocytes, V79 and A549 cell lines. Even low doses of (+)-usnic acid showed high cytotoxic activity against cancerous cells. The MTT results and cell proliferation index (CPI) values based on the CBMN test results are found in good agreement.

Changes in apoptosis-related gene expression profiles in cancer cell lines exposed to usnic acid lichen secondary metabolite

“…According to MTT assay results, (+)-usnic acid showed relatively more cytotoxic effects than (-)-usnic acid in A549 cells. Even at low doses of usnic acid, the two enantiomers were found to be more effective in the death and control of cancer cells compared to nonmalignant cell lines (Koparal et al, 2006). In our study, treatment with usnic acid showed a less cytotoxic effect on L929 and Vero cells than the cancer cell lines.…”

The investigation of cytogenetic and oxidative effects of diffractaic acid on human lymphocyte cultures

“…In parallel to the present findings, Leandro et al (2013) evaluated the genotoxic potential of (+)-usnic acid (UA) by MN and comet assays in V79 cell cultures and found that that UA did not lead to genotoxicity. Koparal et al (2006) investigated the genotoxicity of (+)-UA by MN assay in human lymphocytes in vitro and reported that UA was non-genotoxic. Many of the lichen acids have biological effects due to antioxidant properties.…”

“…Human blood samples were treated with final concentrations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg L -1 of DA. The doses were selected according to Koparal et al (2006). The cultures without DA were used as control-group Mitomycin C (10 µm, Sigma-Aldrich®) (Vijayalaxmi et al 1996) was used as the positive control in MN and CA assays.…”

Promising anticancer activity of a lichen, Parmelia sulcata Taylor, against breast cancer cell lines and genotoxic effect on human lymphocytes

“…In our previous study, our findings demonstrated that Hypogymnia physodes extract had an anti-growth effect at relatively lower concentrations, while relatively higher concentrations were required for genotoxic activity (Ari et al 2012). Koparal et al (2006) investigated the cytotoxic and genotoxic activities of (? )-usnic and (-)-usnic acid isolated from the Ramalina farinacea and Cladonia foliacea on human lymphocytes, and they observed no genotoxicity against human lymphocytes and high level of cytotoxicity against cancer cells.…”