Preliminary Data Regarding Total Chlorophylls, Carotenoids and Flavonoids Content in Flavoparmelia Caperata (L.) Hale Lichens Species

Abstract

Flavoparmelia caperata L. Hale (common greenshield lichen) is an Ascomycete, foliose lichen usually growing on tree bark in most mesophytic-forested habitats in Romania. Lichen samples were collected from three stations in Romania (Craiova, Timișoara, Hoia-Baciu Forest, Cluj) and extracted in 96% ethanol. Both dry lichen tissue powder and extracts were analyzed by UV-Vis spectrophotometry for determining photosynthetic pigment concentrations (chlorophylls a and b and total carotenoids). Dry tissue samples had chlorophyll a concentrations of 95.12-109.59 mg/kg DW, chlorophyll b concentrations of 88.53-110.98 mg/kg and total carotenoids 88.89-102.85 mg/kg. Alcoholic extracts of fresh lichen tissue showed an extreme variability, with 715.97-10331.50 mg/kg chlorophyll a, 527.77-8124.20 mg/kg chlorophyll b, 1125.72-8714.90 mg/kg carotenoids pigments, with the highest values in samples from Craiova. A lower variability was observed in flavonoid contents, with 461.78-966.02 mg/kg DW in dry powder and 815.56-2734.135 mg/kg in ethanolic extracts. Extracts of lichens from Craiova had a decreased content of total flavonoids compared with the other two lichens ethanol extracts.