Protoplast isolation from cultured lichen Usnea ghattensis, their fusion with protoplasts of Aspergillus nidulans, fusant regeneration and production of usnic acid.

Protoplasts isolated from the mycobiont of a cultured lichen Usnea ghattensis were fused with protoplasts of the fungus Aspergillus nidulans in order to increase the growth rate of the cultured lichen mycobiont in vitro. The maximum protoplast yield (102 x 10(4)/g fresh cell mass) was reached in citrate buffer with 50 mmol/L 2-sulfanylethanol ('2-mercaptoethanol') containing 0.1 % Novozym after 1.5 h at pH 5 and

Inhibitory activity of xanthine oxidase and superoxide-scavenging activity in some taxa of the lichen family Graphidaceae.

Results on the screening of species of the lichen family Graphidaceae for superoxide-scavenging activity (SSA) and xanthine-oxidase inhibitory (IXO) activity have been presented. The potential of the extracts for scavenging of superoxide and inhibition of xanthine-oxidase under various physiological conditions has been evaluated. The methanolic extracts of the species of family Graphidaceae showed inhibitory properties of xanthine oxidase (IC50 = 2.0 to 5.26 microg/ml) with an additional superoxide scavenging capacity (IC50 = 3.63 to 13.88 microg/ml). The potential of the methanolic extracts for scavenging of superoxide and inhibition of xanthine oxidase remained stable at 4 degrees C. Thus the extracts can be maintained for longer periods for their therapeutic uses.