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PRELIMINARY STUDY REGARDING USNEA BARBATA L., FROM ROMANIA

V. Popovici, L. Bucur, A. Popescu, V. Badea

Abstract

Healthcare research pursues, most of the time, to find natural sources of bioactive compounds for treatment of various diseases. A source of natural compounds with therapeutically effect is represented by plants that have been used, for thousands years, in traditional medicine. Usnea barbata L. is a lichen – a symbiotic organism with a special structure: fungus and alga. In this case, the resulted thallus, is very different in structure, properties and natural compounds, to the two plants taken separately. These metabolites (primary and secondary) are responsible for pharmacological action of lichen extracts. In this work we proposed to present, as results of our research, the morpho-anatomical features, the identified bioactive compounds and the total polyphenols content of the lichen Usnea barbata L., from North-Eastern Carpathian Mountains, Romania. Polyphenols are natural compounds, which have an important antioxidant activity. General methodology included work methods presented in Romanian Pharmacopoeia Xth edition and European Pharmacopoeia 9.0 edition. The macroscopic examination was a free-eye observation of lichen thallus, about size, colour, odour and taste, structural features. The microscopic preparation was made by clarification of crushed lichen thallus, with chloralhydrate solution 50% and it was examined under photomicroscope Novex Holland with video camera VC 3031. After the chemical screening of Usnea barbata L., was identified the most important compounds and was determined total polyphenols content, by a spectrophotometric method according to European Pharmacopoeia 9.0. edition. The macroscopic and microscopic examination, confirmed the features of lichen Usnea barbata L. thallus, according to the scientific literature. By chemical screening has been identified the great classes of bioactive natural metabolites: polyphenols, tannins, polysaccharides. Preliminary determination of total polyphenols content, shows a value of 0.97% in aqueous extract, 1.32% in ethanol 40% extract, 1.31% in ethanol 96% extract, 0,91% in acetone extract. All the morpho-anatomical features to Usnea barbata L.from Romania are similar to literature data. Quantitative determination shows that all extracts contain polyphenols and can be used in human therapy to treat various diseases. All the results obtained of total polyphenols in aqueous, ethanolic (40% and 96%) and acetonic extracts are different from those in the literature because different solvents and methods have been used.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2017/33/S12.067

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