Lichens as a source of chemical compounds with anti-inflammatory activity

Abstract

Symptoms of inflammation accompany a number of diseases. In order to mitigate them, folk medicine has used a variety of medicinal substances, including herbs and mushrooms. Lichens are less known organisms, containing specific secondary metabolites with interesting biological properties. One of their biological actions is the anti-inflammatory activity that has been confirmed by in vitro and animal studies. It has been proven that compounds and extracts from lichens inhibit the enzymes involved in the inflammatory process. The following paper is a review of research on the little-known anti-inflammatory properties of lichens.