What is usnic acid?

Usnic acid, also known as lichenic acid, is a compound derived from natural usnea with the chemical formula C18H16O7 and a molecular weight of 344.32. It usually exists in the form of light to golden needle-shaped crystals, which are tasteless, odorless, non-toxic, non-corrosive, and non-volatile. Usnic acid is easily soluble in chloroform and glacial acetic acid, but difficult to dissolve in hot alcohol. It is a light yellow silk needle-shaped crystal with specific optical rotation and ultraviolet absorption characteristics. This compound not only has a wide range of biological activities but also shows great application potential in many fields due to its unique physical and chemical properties. Due to its multiple medicinal activities, it is often used as a pharmaceutical raw material.

What are the effects of usnic acid?

1. Antibacterial ingredients: Usnic acid is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that has a strong inhibitory effect on most Gram-positive bacteria and can also inhibit the growth of tuberculosis bacteria. In addition, it can effectively inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, acnes and other pathogens, and has a significant effect on the treatment of skin diseases such as acne, rosacea, and seborrheic dermatitis.
2. Antiviral effect: Usnic acid has the potential activity to inhibit viral proliferation. It mainly inhibits the formation of messenger RNA and indirectly inhibits DNA replication, thereby achieving antiviral purposes.
3. Anti-tumor effect: Usnic acid has inhibitory activity against a variety of cancer cell lines, including breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, etc., without causing damage to the DNA of normal cells. This makes usnic acid a promising new generation of anti-cancer drug.
4. Anti-inflammatory activity: Usnic acid exhibits certain anti-inflammatory effects in both acute inflammation and chronic inflammation models. Its anti-inflammatory mechanism may be related to inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins.
5. Other effects: Usnic acid also has various effects such as insecticidal, analgesic, antipyretic, and antitoxin. In addition, it can promote skin wound healing and have a better gastroprotective effect on gastric ulcer models.

How to use it?

1. Pharmaceutical raw materials: Usnic acid can be used to treat chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis, traumatic infection and other diseases. Its antibacterial, antiviral and anti-tumor effects make it an important raw material for the development of new drugs.
2. Cosmetics materials: Usnic acid, as a cosmetic adjuvant approved by CTFA, is widely used in toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, sunscreen and other cosmetics. It can not only effectively inhibit the growth of bacteria in the mouth and skin, but also be used as a high-efficiency preservative.
3. Health care material: Usnic acid has the effect of enhancing human immunity and can be used to develop health care products and nutritional supplements.
4. Feed additives: Usnic acid can be used as a natural plant preservative, replacing antibiotics and added to feed to promote animal growth and development and prevent and treat diseases.