Evaluation of in vitro antioxidant,antimicrobial, genotoxic and anticancer activities of lichen Cetraria islandica

In this study, the antioxidant, antimicrobial, genotoxic and anticancer activities of Cetraria islandica methanol extract were determined by using free radical and superoxide anion scavenging activity, reducing power, determination of total phenolic compounds and flavonoid contents, broth microdilution minimal inhibitory concentration against five bacterial and five fungal species, cytokinesis block micronucleus (MN) assay on peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and the microculture tetrazolium test on FemX (human melanoma) and LS174 (human colon carcinoma) cell lines. As a result of the study, we found that C. islandica methanol extract exhibited moderate free-radical-scavenging activity with IC₅₀ values 678.38 μg/ml. Moreover, the tested extract had effective reducing power and superoxide anion radical scavenging. The minimal inhibitory concentration values against the tested microorganisms ranged from 0.312 to 5 mg/ml. The extract increased MN frequency in a dose dependent manner, but it was significant in higher tested concentrations (50, 100 and 200 μg/ml). No significant differences were observed between NDI values in all treatments and untreated PBLs. In addition, the tested extract had strong anticancer activity towards both cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 22.68 and 33.74 μg/ml. It can be concluded that the tested extract exhibited a certain level of in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, genotoxic and anticancer activities.