As I am sure you noticed, I get many compliments based on how well I age and my overall appearance. Don’t be fooled by my pretty exterior; the compounds that make me who I am are the real heroes. Other species of lichens, such as the Antarctic lichen Ramalina terebrate, are currently being researched to determine if there are certain properties or compounds that increase proliferation of human dermal fibroblast cells. (Lee, et al., 2010) The major compound found in lichens, usimine, is a dibenzofuran and an usnic acid derivative. (Nunes, et al., 2011) Usimine from lichens could “significantly increase Type 1 procollagen synthesis, especially after treatment from usimine-c due to its side chain. (Lee, et al., 2010) The ability of using usimine from lichens as a natural polymer to serve as dressing for dermal burn healing is also being assessed and was tested on “Wistar rats with second-degree burn wounds.” (Nunes, et al., 2011) If a method of ethically isolating usimine compounds from lichens can successfully be utilized on humans to increase collagen production without adverse side effects or to heal dermal burns, this procedure could revolutionize dermatological and trauma-related medicine.
(Picture of Ramalina terebrate courtesy of Bernard Goffinet: https://bryology.uconn.edu/chile-2016/)
Collagen deficiency could result in joint pain, wrinkles, weakening of fibers “essential in binding muscles to bones and ligaments,” and reduction of blood regulation, resulting in abnormal blood pressure. (Kh, 2017) Research regarding the lichen’s ability to heal burns is in relatively elementary stages and less published compared to research on how lichens can detect environmental changes. In 1991, collagen biosynthesis in lichen sclerosus was studied using “in situ hybridization with human sequence-specific cDNAs.” (Oikarinen , Sandberg, Hurskainen, Kinnunen, & Kallioinen, 1991)The study found that there were active fibroblasts in the lesions and confirmed that a high level of collagen was present. In 2010, a research study determined that usimine-c from the lichen Ramalina terebrata caused a significant increase in ‘Type 1 procollagen synthesis by 5-fold after being treated by 3.6 micrograms of usimine-C per milliliter for a twenty four hour time period.” (Lee, et al., 2010)
On the other hand, adverse effects were also detected in utilizing only usnic acid isolated from the lichen species Cladonia substellata to treat burns due to “its very poor water solubility.” (Nunes, et al., 2011) The same research article states that if the usnic acid is used along with “a suitable solubilizer agent and a carrier system” then it can be safe and efficient. The encapsulation of the acid is one way that the study found to reduce the drug’s hepatotoxicity and solubility issue. Usnic acid, in particular, has been proven to have “anti-inflammatory, antimitotic, and antibacterial” properties in humans. It is amazing just how vastly beneficial organic compounds found in the organisms and environment surrounding us can be if more time and effort can be invested in finding alternative ways to treat humans or solve everyday problems.
There is a need for more extensive research, however, before it can be concluded that the usimine compound from certain species of lichens can be used to treat deficiencies or heal burns in the human body in a safe and effective way. It can be concluded that presence of this compound from lichens can increase collagen synthesis. The ability of a mutualistic relationship between a fungal species and cyanobacteria to potentially benefit dermal health of humans and how this relationship already benefits us by serving as identifiers of air quality levels illustrate just how diverse yet connected organisms are and how multifunctional life can be. It makes you wonder how many more medical solutions exist right underneath our noses or in my case right underneath my mycelia.
Works Cited
Kh, R. (2017, October 6). 4 Symptoms of Collagen Deficiency After 50. Retrieved from Healthworks Collective: https://www.healthworkscollective.com/4-symptoms-collagen-deficiency/
Lee, S., Koh, H., Oh, H., Han, S., Kim, I.-C., Lee, H., et al. (2010). Human dermal fibroblast proliferation activity of usimine-C from Antarctic lichen Ramalina terebrata. Bbiotechnology Letters , 32 (4), 471-475.
Nunes, P., Albuquerque-Junior, R., Cavalcante, D., Dantas, M., Cardoso, J., Bezerra, M., et al. (2011, January 11). Collagen-Based Films Containing Liposome-Loaded Usnic Acid as Dressing for Dermal Burn Healing. Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology .
Oikarinen , A., Sandberg, M., Hurskainen, T., Kinnunen, T., & Kallioinen, M. (1991). Collagen biosynthesis in lichen sclerosus et atrophicus studied by biochemical and in situ hybridization techniques. Acta Derm Venereol(Found on PubMed) , 3-12.