What does usnic acid do?
What does usnic acid do?
Usnic acid is a natural chemical substance that is mainly derived from lichens. Specifically, it is extracted from the dried lichens of Usnea and Usnea longissima, which are plants of the Usneaceae family. It has a variety of medicinal and health functions. Usnic acid, also known as lichen acid, is a yellow rhombic prism-shaped crystal with multiple functions such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, and wound healing.
It is a powerful furan antibiotic with optical activity. It is found in lichens in two forms (+) and (-). In the 1960s, the former Soviet Union made usnic acid into various dosage forms, which were widely used to treat trauma, burns, chapped skin, and other diseases. Due to its strong antibacterial, anti-radiation, and anti-corrosion effects, usnic acid has been used in the pharmaceutical, perfume, cosmetics and other industries, and is added as a pure substance to toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, sunscreen, and weight loss products.
It has a wide range of uses. As a broad-spectrum antibiotic, it has a strong inhibitory effect on most Gram-positive bacteria and can also inhibit the growth of tuberculosis. When used in combination with a small amount of streptomycin, its inhibitory effect on tuberculosis is greatly enhanced. In addition, usnic acid is also used in cosmetics as a highly effective preservative. It has a selective inhibitory effect on streptococci that cause oral diseases and dental caries, and is effective for a variety of skin diseases such as burns, infections, psoriasis, etc.
What are the functions?
Antioxidant
Usnic acid has a powerful antioxidant effect, which can help the body resist damage from free radicals. Free radicals are harmful molecules that further damage cells and cause many health problems, such as aging and disease. It can neutralize free radicals, thereby protecting the body from oxidative stress, allowing body cells to work more healthily.
Anti-inflammatory
It shows significant anti-inflammatory effects, which can inhibit the release of inflammatory responses and inflammation-related cytokines. It is widely used in the development of anti-inflammatory drugs and the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and allergic reactions.
Lowering blood sugar
It can also lower blood sugar levels. It can promote insulin secretion, improve the body's utilization of glucose, and reduce the increase in blood sugar.
Promote blood circulation
It can also promote blood circulation and improve the health of the heart and blood vessels. It can increase the number of endothelial cells in blood vessels and improve the elasticity of blood vessels, thereby improving blood flow in blood vessels. This is especially important for those with cardiovascular disease, helping them maintain healthy heart function and blood circulation.
Antibacterial
It has significant antibacterial effects on a variety of bacteria such as pneumococcus, hemolytic streptococcus, diphtheria bacillus, tuberculosis bacillus, etc. It can exert antibacterial effects by inhibiting the growth of bacteria.
Promote liver regeneration
In animal models, it can promote liver regeneration, which may be of great significance for the treatment of liver disease.
Effects on lifespan and nervous system
With the advent of an aging global population, finding a drug that can extend human healthy lifespan and reduce the risk of age-related diseases has become a key goal of anti-aging research. Usnic acid comes from natural usnea. It is used for hemostasis, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, plaque removal, and enhancing human immunity. It is often used as an additive in toothpaste and cosmetics. Recently, scientists have found that it can extend the healthy lifespan of nematodes and significantly improve the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.
It can extend lifespan and has significant health benefits for nematodes.
It promotes the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans by acting on the mTOR signaling pathway.
It extends the lifespan of Alzheimer's disease models through the mTOR signaling pathway. In summary, the experiment found that it extends the healthy lifespan of nematodes by controlling mTOR-dependent ways, and can improve Alzheimer's disease and polyglutamine-related diseases. The evolutionary conservation of the mTOR signaling pathway suggests that the prevention and treatment of aging and age-related diseases may be universal.
What is usnic acid used for?
Medicine
It is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that has a strong inhibitory effect on most Gram-positive bacteria, and can also
inhibit the growth of tuberculosis, and has good therapeutic effects on trauma, burns, skin diseases, cervical inflammation, etc. In addition, usnic acid is also effective against Gram-negative Bordetella pertussis, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Proteus, etc., but is ineffective against Shigella dysenteriae and Salmonella typhi.
It has been proven to have antiviral activity, such as a potential inhibitory effect on the proliferation of mouse polyomavirus, and its mode of action is to indirectly inhibit the replication of viral DNA by inhibiting RNA transcription.
Food
It can also be used as a food preservative due to its odorless, non-toxic, and non-corrosive properties to ensure food safety and extend shelf life.
Health products
It has also been widely used in health products and nutritional products in recent years because of its ability to enhance immunity.
Cosmetics
Due to its broad-spectrum antibacterial properties, it is often used as a preservative in cosmetics, which can effectively inhibit the growth of microorganisms that cause cosmetic corruption. It can also be used to remove dental plaque, prevent tooth decay, enhance skin immunity, etc. Therefore, it is widely used in cosmetics such as toothpaste, mouthwash, and skin care products.
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