In vitro evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of lichen metabolites as potential preservatives.

Antimicrobial screening of several lichen species and subsequent isolation and structure elucidation of active compounds revealed that the hydrolysis products of certain lichen metabolites, i.e., depsides, were active against gram-negative bacteria and fungi as well as gram-positive bacteria. The active constituents isolated from Stereocaulon alpinum and Peltigera aphthosa were identified, respectively, as methyl beta-orsellinate and a mixture of methyl and ethyl orsellinates. MIC determinations indicated that activity of these compounds was superior to that of the commonly used preservative agents methyl and propyl p-hydroxybenzoates and was of the same order as that of chlorocresol.