Determination of biological activities of some species of Usnea dill. ex adans. distributed in turkey

In this study, it was aimed to investigate antimicrobial, antioxidant activities and cytotoxic effects and DNA protective effects of methanol extracts obtanined from Usnea lapponica Vain, Usnea intermedia (A. Massal.) Jatta, Usnea florida (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg. species that distributed in Turkey. The amount of usnic acid for three lichen species was determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography and the highest amount was found in U. lapponica (334.59 ± 9.21 mg/ gextract). The highest total phenol content was determined in U. lapponica (87.62 ± 4.37 mgGAE/ gextract), and the total amount of flavonoids in U. florida (23.06 ± 3.34 mgCA/gexract). DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS [2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzathiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] methods have been used for antioxidant activity, U. lapponica showed the highest DPPH inhibition activity. U. intermedia showed the highest ABTS inhibition activity. Disc diffusion method was used to investigate antimicrobial activity, and the best effect was observed in the methanol extract of U. intermedia with a 13 mm zone on Micrococcus luteus. Cytotoxic activity was determined by MTT test on human lung cancer (A549) and breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cell line. U. florida (250 μg/mL % 36.0301 viability) on A549 and U. intermedia extract (62.5 µg/mL % 23.65 viability) showed the strongest cytotoxic effect on MDA-MB-231. At the same time, DNA protective effect was investigated by using pBR322 plasmid DNA and all studied species were found to have DNA protective effects.