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There is an urgent need for novel drug leads, especially for microbial infections due to continuing emergence of drug resistance. Natural products are the backbone of modern medicine and the lichens have an important role to play in the discovery of novel drugs. Indonesia is gifted with a diverse array of lichens, which remain underexplored for medicinal applications. In this study, we have collected a lichen, Candelaria fibrosa, and conducted phytochemical and bioactivity studies. Using high performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we have isolated and characterised two depside compounds, atraric acid (7) and methyl 3-hydroxy orsellinate (8). These two depsides were reported from this lichen species for the first time. The evaluation of the crude methanol extract against Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, indicated insignificant activity. However, the isolated compounds have been previously reported to possess low antimicrobial activity against common pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) but to show significant anti-legionellosis.

An extensive phytochemical study of a foliose lichen from Indonesia, Parmelia cetrata, resulted in the successful isolation of 13 phenol and depside derivatives (1–13) including the previously unre...

A taxonomic study of the fructicose lichens in the forest of Tahura (Taman Hutan Raya) R. Soeryo had been conducted based on morphological, anatomical and chemical characters. In this research involved a method of descriptive explorative and the aim of this research is to identify and determine of fructicose lichens in the forest of Tahura R. Soeryo. Eleven species of fructicose lichen are reported for the firt time from the forest of Tahura R. Soeryo. They are Evernia prunastri , Ramalina calicaris , Teloschistes flavicans U. glabrescens , , U. subfloridana , U. Ceratina , U. floridana , U. hirta and three species were found as new records in Java are Usnea esperantiana , U. flammea , and U. strigosa . Taxonomic descriptions and figures are presented in the articel.

Aim: This study aimed to examine the effect of dietary Spirogyra jaoensis in starter feed on growth performance, pectoralis muscle (PM) growth, and small intestine morphology of broiler chickens. Materials and Methods: One hundred twenty one-day-old Cobb-500 broilers (body weight 46±2.6 g) were divided into four equal groups with 3 replicates in each group and given basal feed supplemented with dried S. jaoensis at doses of 0%, 0.5%, 1%, or 2%. The treatment was carried out until the chickens were 18 days old to examine growth of broiler chicks at starter period (8-21 days old). Results: Supplementation with S. jaoensis at doses of 0.5% and 1% resulted in increased weight and improved feed conversion ratio compared to the control group. At the end of treatment, chickens fed with 0.5% and 1% S. jaoensis weighed 428.3±47.8 g and 426.9±31.8 g, respectively, and were significantly heavier than the control group (373.1±44.1 g). Furthermore, parameters related to PM growth and small intestine morphology of chickens supplemented with 0.5% S. jaoensis in basal feed were improved compared to the control group. Conclusion: The results of this research indicate that S. jaoensis at a dose of 0.5% improves growth performance, PM growth, and small intestine morphology in broiler chickens. Keywords: broiler chicken, feed supplement, pectoralis muscle growth, small intestine, Spirogyra jaoensis.

Lichen is a symbiotic organism consisting of a photobiont (green algae or cyanobacterium) and a mycobiont (fungal). A taxonomic study of the crustose lichens in the forest of TAHURA R. Soeryohad been conducted based on morphological, anatomical, and chemical characters. In this research, we used the method of descriptive exploration to identify the crustose lichens and to study the distribution of the species in the forest of TAHURA R. Soeryo. Twenty species of crustose lichens with one unidentified species and one specimen identified to the group of family are reported. They are Graphina, Graphis, Phaeographis, Pertusaria, Pachyphiale, Phlyctis, Lepraria, Lecanora, Lecania, Cyphellium, and Megalospora. This research also found the new record species of Megalospora kalbii in Java. Crustose lichens are found in the areas with high light intensity of ≥ 1000 lux, average humidity of ≤ 90%, average temperature of18-190C, and at altitudes of ±1640 dpl. Graphina ruiziana could only be found at the altitude of ± 1780 dpl. The identification key to its species and distributions of other species are presented also in the article.

Lichen is a unique composite organism that arises from algae and fungi symbiotic relationship. There are 18,500 recorded lichen species worldwide but only limited number of global species has been tested for their biological activities. In particular, Indonesian lichens are rarely investigated. In this study, we collected and identified nine lichen species from six different locations in East Java Indonesia and screened their crude methanol extracts against gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and cancer cells (MCF7, Widr and Hela). While only the methanol extract of Parmelia cetrata Ach and Parmelia dilatata Vain inhibited Pseudomonas aeruginosa, most lichen extracts possessed moderate cytotoxicity. Cladonia scabriuscula methanol extract was cytotoxic against MCF7, Widr and Hela cell lines with IC50 value of 324, 324, 476 μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, methanol extract of Physcia cf. millegrana Degel indicated cytotoxicity against Hela cell line with IC50 value of 137 μg/mL. This study revealed anticancer potency of lichen of Java Island for the first time and further research is necessary for isolating the bioactive compounds.

An extensive phytochemical study of a foliose lichen from Indonesia