Rhizocarpic acid
Application Notes
Rhizocarpic acid is a yellow crystalline pigment, first isolated by Knop from several lichens, notably Rhizocarpon geographicum, in 1844. Rhizocarpic acid is a member of the pulvinic acid family, with a tetronic acid core bound to the methyl ester of L-phenylalanine. Rhizocarpic acid has weak activity against Bacillus subtilis, and moderate but selective activity against the murine myeloma cell line NS-1. The biosynthesis of rhizocarpic acid is induced by UV-B radiation, representing a chemical adaptation in high altitude lichen habitats.
References
- Frank R. L. et al. (1950). The structures and syntheses of rhiizocarpic acid and epanorin. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 72, 4454.
- James P.J.C. et al. (2023). Synthesis, characterization, and bioactivity of the lichen pigments pulvinamide, rhizocarpic Acid, and epanorin and congeners. J Nat. Prod., 86, 550.
- Rubio C. et al. (2002). Effects of solar UV-B radiation in the accumulation of rhizocarpic acid in a lichen species from alpine zones of Chile. Boletin de la Sociedad Chilena de Quimica, 47, 67.