Exploitation of antimicrobial, antioxidant and antityrosinase activities of Parmotrema perlatum (Hudson) M. choisy (Parmeliaceae) and Protoparmeliopsis muralis (Schreb) M. choisy (Lecanoraceae) species

In this postgraduate thesis, Protoparmeliopsis muralis and Parmotrema perlatum lichen species were dried and powdered then they were subjected Soxhlet extraction using water, ethanol and chloroform solvents. Antimicrobial activity of extracts that were obtained from lichens were tested on test microorganisms by using disc diffusion method, Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC), Minimum Bakteriocidal Concentration (MBC)/Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) P. muralis lichen exhibited more antimicrobial activity when compared with P. perlatum lichen. Among antimicrobial activities of the extracts increases in the following order: chloroform extract> ethanol extract> water extract. Antioxidant activity of the lichens were evaluated by different methods such as total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, metal chelating activity, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity and copper reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC). Whereas the highest total phenolic content was determined in the ethanol extract of P. perlatum lichen; the lowest total phenolic content was determined in the ethanol extract of P. muralis lichen. Lichen extracts were exhibited lower metal chelating activity than Etilen Diamine Tetra Asetic Acid (EDTA). The highest CUPRAC activity was found in chloroform extract of P. perlatum. Moreover, antityrosinase activity of the extract were examined. Only ethanol extract of the both lichens showed tyrosinase inhibition, any activity in the other extracts didn't found. According to the obtained data, it is concluded that P. muralis and P. perlatum lichen species extracts might be an alternative to synthetic antioxidant, antimicrobial and antityrosinase agents.