AUTHOR=Torres-Benítez Alfredo , Ortega-Valencia José Erick , Jara-Pinuer Nicolás , Sanchez Marta , Vargas-Arana Gabriel , Gómez-Serranillos María Pilar , Simirgiotis Mario J. 

TITLE=Antioxidant and antidiabetic activity and phytoconstituents of lichen extracts with temperate and polar distribution

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2023.1251856

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2023.1251856

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>The objective of this research was to characterize the chemical composition of ethanolic extracts of the lichen species <italic>Placopsis contortuplicata</italic>, <italic>Ochrolechia frigida</italic>, and <italic>Umbilicaria antarctica</italic>, their antioxidant activity, and enzymatic inhibition through <italic>in vitro</italic> and molecular docking analysis. In total phenol content, FRAP, ORAC, and DPPH assays, the extracts showed significant antioxidant activity, and in <italic>in vitro</italic> assays for the inhibition of pancreatic lipase, <italic>α</italic>-glucosidase, and α-amylase enzymes, together with <italic>in silico</italic> studies for the prediction of pharmacokinetic properties, toxicity risks, and intermolecular interactions of compounds, the extracts evidenced inhibitory potential. A total of 13 compounds were identified by UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS in <italic>P. contortuplicata</italic>, 18 compounds in <italic>O. frigida</italic>, and 12 compounds in <italic>U. antarctica</italic>. This study contributes to the knowledge of the pool of bioactive compounds present in lichens of temperate and polar distribution and biological characteristics that increase interest in the discovery of natural products that offer alternatives for treatment studies of diseases related to oxidative stress and metabolic syndrome.</p>