Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Characterization and in silico anti-melanogenic potentials of mycosporine-like amino acids of epiphytic lichen isolated from central Nepal
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Lal Ram, Amin Nasreen, Shrivastava Umesh P., Sinha Rajeshwar P., Kannaujiya Vinod K.
Research Articles | Published: 23 April, 2025
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Keywords: Anti-melanogenic, Drug, High performance liquid chromatography, Lichens, Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), UV radiation
Abstract
Lichens are symbiotic associations of unclose interspecies interactions between photobionts and mycobionts. They are highly tolerant under variable extreme environmental conditions, including intense solar radiation, temperature fluctuations, and desiccation. In the present investigation, we have extracted and partially purified potent UV-absorbing mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) from lichens collected from coniferous trees. The cross-section of Parmelia sp. thallus represents separated cortical and hyphal layers with embedded mycobiont and photobiont chambers. UV-VIS spectrophotometric analyses of methanolic extract indicate presence of MAAs. Further, semi-prep HPLC analyses has resulted in a prominent absorbance peak at 309.4 nm with retention time of 14.01 min. The absorption spectrum (309.4 nm) indicates the presence of Mycosporine-taurine (TAU). The TAU was further evaluated for anti-melanogenic activity via in silico approach with kojic acid (KOJ) reference drug ingredient of commercial sunscreen. In comparison to the reference drug KOJ, TAU exhibited highest docking score, great binding affinity, and positive drug pharmacokinetic properties with the human melanin producing tyrosinase related protein 1. Thus, TAU acts as a potent drug for the therapy in pigmentation disorders and is useful for the development of active sunscreen for human skin protection.
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Author Information
Department of Botany, MMV, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India