Antioxidant potential of Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf and its secondary metabolites on hepatocellular carcinoma cells: regulation of antioxidant enzymes

The use of medicinal plants and secondary metabolites increases in treating numerous diseases such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one the leading causes cancer-related death worldwide. Oxidative stress contributes to development liver cancer, promoting antioxidant systems might provide better insights for treatment. In present study, potential Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf lichen species were investigated. Besides, effects major metabolites, olivetoric acid (OA) physodic (PA), which isolated from P. furfuracea, on hepatic gene expressions enzymes, evaluated both cancerous (HepG2) healthy (THLE2) human cells. According results, total phenolic content was 71.52 µg/mg 8.16 gallic equivalent ethanolic aqueous extracts, respectively. Likewise, β-carotene lycopene contents also higher extracts. line with these ingredients, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity ethanol extract (IC50: 158.79 mg/L) remarkably high compared its extracts 630.33 mg/L). OA PA strongly augment all enzymes’ HepG2 cells, while only gpx expression upregulated THLE2 Conversely, two suppress cat, sod1, sod2 These results together suggest that not has potential, but reduce oxidative cancer cells by upregulating would prevent oncogenesis tumor progression cancer.