Comparative evaluation of anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities in relation to lichen acid profiles in Xanthoparmelia verruculifera, X. delisei, and X. loxodes.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The genus Xanthoparmelia comprises more than 800 species worldwide, and several members have been traditionally used for wound healing and the management of inflammatory and rheumatic conditions.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To comparatively evaluate the anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities of three Xanthoparmelia species native to Türkiye and relate the observed bioactivities to their lichen acid profiles.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Methanolic extracts of Xanthoparmelia verruculifera, X. delisei, and X. loxodes were evaluated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages by measuring nitric oxide (NO), TNF-α, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Cytotoxic effects were assessed in human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). Antioxidant capacity was evaluated using in vitro radical scavenging assays. Lichen acids were characterized by HPLC.

RESULTS

Among the tested extracts, X. verruculifera showed the strongest inhibition of NO production and reduction of TNF-α and PGE2 levels in RAW 264.7 cells. In cytotoxicity studies, X. delisei exhibited higher activity against MCF-7 cells, whereas X. verruculifera was more effective against MDA-MB-231 cells. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of usnic acid, gyrophoric acid, psoromic acid, fumarprotocetraric acid, protocetraric acid, stictic acid, norstictic acid, and salazinic acid across the extracts.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide experimental support for the ethnopharmacological relevance of Xanthoparmelia species and demonstrate species-dependent differences in bioactivity that are consistent with variations in lichen acid profiles.