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Bioactivity of secondary metabolites and thallus extracts from lichen fungi

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Mycoscience

Abstract

Fungal secondary compounds and total extracts are known to affect growth of bacteria, fungi, and plants. This study tested the effects of purified compounds and total extracts from three lichens on the growth of two plant pathogens, Ophiostoma novo-ulmi ssp. americana and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Usnic acid showed no reduction in relative growth rates (RGR), whereas vulpinic acid reduced RGR for both fungi and atranorin reduced RGR of S. sclerotiorum only. However, purified vulpinic acid showed stronger effects than total extracts on fungal growth. The results suggest that these lichens show further promise as a source for bioactive compounds against fungi.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank S. Athukorala for help with fungal culturing, N. Kenkel for statistical advice, and T. Booth and K. Fontaine for checking the English. Lichens were collected with Parks Canada (permit number WAP-2008-67). This project was funded by National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Experiments comply with current Canadian laws.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada

    Mark Kowalski & Michele D. Piercey-Normore

  2. Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada

    Georg Hausner

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  1. Mark Kowalski
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  2. Georg Hausner
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  3. Michele D. Piercey-Normore
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Correspondence to Michele D. Piercey-Normore.

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Kowalski, M., Hausner, G. & Piercey-Normore, M.D. Bioactivity of secondary metabolites and thallus extracts from lichen fungi. Mycoscience 52, 413–418 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10267-011-0118-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10267-011-0118-3

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