Skip to main content

Usnic Acid

  • Chapter
Mechanism of Action

Part of the book series: Antibiotics ((ANTIBIOTICS,volume 1))

  • 503 Accesses

Abstract

Usnic acid (usninic acid) is an antibiotic produced by many species of lichens (Stoll et al., 1947). Its chemistry was studied by Widman (1902), and the following structure was proposed by Schopf and Ross (1938, 1947). Usnic acid was synthesized by Barton et al. (1956).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Barton, D. H. R., A. M. Deflorin, and O. E. Edwards: The synthesis of usnic acid. Biochem. J. 1956, 530.

    Google Scholar 

  • Castle, H., and F. Kubsch: The production of usnic, didymic and rhodocladonic acids by the fungal component of the lichen Cladonia cristatella. Arch. Biochem. 23, 158 (1949).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Creaser, E. H.: The induced (adaptive) biosynthesis of β-galactosidase in Staphylococcus aureus. J. Gen. Microbiol. 12, 288 (1955).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, R. B., G. Feldott, and H. A. Lardy: The mode of action of the antibiotic usnic acid. Arch. Biochem. (now Arch. Biochem. Biophys.) 28, 317 (1950).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lardy, H. A., J. L. Connelly, and D. Johnson: Antibiotics as tools for metabolic studies. II. Inhibition of phosphoryl transfer in mitochondria by oligomycin and aurovertin. Biochemistry 3, 1961 (1964).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Naito, M., R. Watanabe, R. Kitagawa, K. Iba, S. Imai, F. Fujikawa, S. Nakazawa, Y. Yagi, J. Yagi, and M. Nishimoto: Effect of some compounds on tubercle bacilli in vitro. VIII. Antibacterial activity of several hydrazone compounds in vitro. Yakugaku Zasshi 77, 1251 (1957) [Chem. Abstr. 52, 4016a (1958)].

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Savich, V. P., M. A. Litvinov, and E. N. Moiseeva: An antibiotic from lichens as a medicinal product. Planta Med. 8, 191 (1960).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schopf, C., and F. Ross: Die Konstitution der Usninsäure. Naturwissenschaften 26, 772 (1938).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schopf, C., and F. Ross: Die Konstitution der Usninsäure. II. Justus Liebigs Ann. Chem. 1 (1941).

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoll, A., A. BRACK and J. Reng: Die antibakterielle Wirkung der Usninsäure auf Mykobakterien und andere Mikroorganismen. Experientia 3, 115 (1947).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tomaselli, R.: New usnic acid derivative used therapeutically. Farmaco (Pavia), Ed. pract. Ed. Sci. 12, 137 (1957) [Chem. Abstr. 51, 9091c (1957)].

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Virtanen, O. E., and O. E. Kilpio: Fungistatic activity of an usnic acid preparation with the trade name USNO. Suomen Kemistilehti 30, 8 (1957) [Chem. Abstr. 51, 10743e(1957)].

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Virtanen, O. E.: Derivatives of usnic acid with the most important tuberculostatic agents. Suomen Kemistilehti B 28, 125 (1955).

    Google Scholar 

  • Widman, D.: Zur Kenntnis Usninsäure. Justus Liebigs Ann. Chem. 324, 139 (1902).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1967 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Shaw, P.D. (1967). Usnic Acid. In: Gottlieb, D., Shaw, P.D. (eds) Mechanism of Action. Antibiotics, vol 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-46051-7_44

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-46051-7_44

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-46053-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-46051-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics