Affiliation:
1. Northern State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia, Arkhangelsk, Russia
Abstract
Relevance. A prospective area in the sphere of pharmaceutical chemistry is the creation and registration of original antiseptics based on usninic acid. Usnic acid is synthesized by various types of lichens that grow over large areas, are easy to extract from plant raw materials and have a special economic attractiveness. In this regard, usnic acid compounds can be considered as a potential precursor for the development of new promising pharmaceuticals. The aim is carrying out a narrative review of the prospects for the development of a new original antiseptic based on usninic acid. Materials and methods. To analyze the literature, sources from the international databases Web of Science, PubMed, as well as the domestic library system eLibrary were used. The results of the study. Usnic acid ‒ it is a substance with high antiseptic activity against gram-positive microorganisms, while its activity against gram-negative bacteria is very weak. The mechanism of very low efficiency of usninic acid in relation to gram-negative bacteria is due to the peculiarity of the structure of hydrophilic channels in the membrane of microbes; lipophilic properties of usninic acid cause its vulnerability, weak permeability to the cell. Modern scientific research is aimed at creating more powerful chemical modifications from usnic acid. The resulting drugs should have high biological activity and minimal toxicity. The conclusion was made about the spectrum of known chemical transformations of usninic acid is still insufficiently studied, extremely narrow; it requires further study and development in order to create a new original antiseptic.