• Mycobiology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 2014

Sticta (Schreber.) Ach. is one of the common lichen genera in tropical and subtropical regions, but not in the Korean Peninsula. For almost two decades, no detailed taxonomic or revisionary study has been done on this genus. This study was based on the specimens deposited in the lichen herbarium at the Korean Lichen Research Institute, and the samples were identified on the basis of recent literature. In this revisionary study, a total of eight species of Sticta, including a newly recorded one are documented. These species include Sticta fuliginosa (Dicks.) Ach., Sticta gracilis (M$\ddot{u}$ll. Arg.) Zahlbr., Sticta limbata (Sm.) Ach., Sticta nylanderiana Zahlbr., Sticta sublimbata (J. Steiner) Swinscow & Krog, Sticta weigelii (Ach.) Vain., Sticta wrightii Tuck., and Sticta yatabeana M$\ddot{u}$ll. Arg. Detailed descriptions of S. nylanderiana, S. sublimbata, S. weigelii, and S. yatabeana with their morphological, anatomical, and chemical characteristics are provided. A key description of all known Sticta species of the Korean Peninsula is also presented.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1524-1528
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• 2010

The antioxidant properties of 46 lichen species, collected from the highly UV-exposed alpine areas of southwestern China, were evaluated for their potential therapeutic utilization. The anti-linoleic acid peroxidation activity, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, reducing power, and total phenolic contents were all assessed in vitro in the methanol extract of the lichens. A potent reducing power was detected in a number of the lichen extracts, when compared with butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). In general, it was found that many of the lichens, with antioxidant properties, contained large quantities of phenolic content. Extracts of Peltigera praetextata and Sticta nylanderiana were found to exhibit the most potent activity in all of the antioxidant tests. In particular, extracts of S. nylanderiana displayed a 1.37 times greater anti-linoleic acid peroxidation activity, when compared with the ascorbic acid used as the positive control. S. nylanderiana also possessed the strongest free radical scavenging activity amongst all the tested species, with an inhibition rate of 90.4% at concentration of $330{\mu}g/ml$. Activity-guided bioautographic TLC and HPLC analyses were used to establish which compounds were responsible for the potent antioxidant activities of the S. nylanderiana extract. These analyses revealed lecanoric acid to be primarily responsible for the effective antioxidant properties of S. nylanderiana. Overall, these results have indicated that several highland lichens have the potential of being utilized as novel bioresources for naturally occurring antioxidant therapies.