Umbilicaria esculenta

Umbilicaria esculenta, the rock tripe, is a lichen of the genus Umbilicaria that grows on rocks. It has distribution across East Asia, including China, Japan, and Korea. Umbilicus is the latin word for "navel, middle, center", referring to the navel-like form of the lichen. The epithet, esculenta, means edible, as Umbilicaria esculenta is edible when prepared properly, being used as a food source and medicine. It is called iwatake (kanji: 岩茸 or 石茸) in Japanese and seogi (hangul: 석이; hanja: 石耳; literally "stone ear" or "rock ear") or seogi beoseot (hangul: 석이버섯; literally "stone ear mushroom") in Korean. The species name is based on the earlier basionym Gyrophora esculenta.

Umbilicaria esculenta
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Umbilicariales
Family: Umbilicariaceae
Genus: Umbilicaria
Species:
U. esculenta
Binomial name
Umbilicaria esculenta
(Miyoshi) Minks (1900)
Synonyms
  • Gyrophora esculenta Miyoshi (1893)

Taxonomy

Derived from the past species name, synonyms are Gyrophora esculenta Miyoshi.

Morphology

Two different types of polysaccharides are known to be the structural components, both a heteroglycan from the fungus and a glucan from the alga.[1] U. esculenta lichens have a dislike thallus, attached to the substrate with a central holdfast.[2] The thallus is also heteromerous (parts that are different in quality and number) and fully corticated (has a cortex and bark). Many of the Umbilicaria species are characterized by a veined or rugose thalline surface.[2] The fungus also has a vegetative reproductive strategy, meaning that it grows through fragmentation from the parent plant.

Ecology

Grows on rocks and is known as the rock tripe. Usually found on mountain rocks at high altitude in East Asia.[3]

Habitat/Geographical Distribution

The algae in the U. esculenta lichen produce carbohydrates, using the carbohydrates to grow and reproduce. Different lichens need different amounts of light. This lichen is exposed on rock and desert soils, as well as on a leafy tree. It is found in East Asia; Japan, China, and Korea.

Human Use

Food

Lichens have a history in folk foods. U. esculenta is considered a delicacy where it is eaten in dishes, soups, or in salads.[4] It has been used as starvation food by Native Americans and early settlers. U. esculenta possesses nutritional properties, such as antioxidant, immune-boosting, and lipid peroxidation inhibitory properties.[4]

Laboratory Use

This fungus is used in laboratories, as lichen-derived glucans have been known to stimulate the functions of immune cells.[5] A study conducted that the fungus, U. escultenta, was evaluated for the phenotypic and functional maturation of dendritic cells after the treatment of extracted glucan.[6] The results concluded that the extracted glucan induced dendritic cell maturation.[6] Medicinal crops are designated as cultivated/semi cultivated plants for prevention/treatment of human/animal diseases. A study was conducted on the polysaccharides in lichens to determine tumor activities. The active glucan in U. esculenta has been isolated in pure form and inhibited the growth of tumors almost completely.[7]

Health Promoting Effects In Medicine

In Europe, records from around the 15th century suggested that several lichens were in regular medicinal usage, with U. esculenta being one of them. It has numerous functions, including antithrombotic activity, antioxidant activity, melanogenesis inhibition, and inhibitory effect on the replication of HIV.[3] The methanolic extracts of U. esculenta have been studied and proven to have melanogenesis inhibitory effects.[8] The lichen is also used in vitro antiviral activity, treating inflammation, poisoning, and hemostasis.[8] In Canada and the United States, it is found in tea to treat tuberculosis and bleeding.[8] Having anti-inflammatory effects,[9] U. esculenta has also shown potent anti-melanoma effects, providing a promising strategy of melanoma therapy with the components from the extracts.[3]

References
  1. Sone, Y., Isoda-Johmura, M., & Misaki, A. (1996). Isolation and chemical characterization of polysaccharides from Iwatake, Gyrophora esculenta Miyoshi. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry, 60(2), 213-215.
  2. Watson, R. R. (n.d.). Polyphenols in plants isolation, purification and extract preparation. Academic press, an imprint of Elsevier.
  3. Sun, Yanhong, et al. “The Polysaccharide Extracted from Umbilicaria Esculenta Inhibits Proliferation of Melanoma Cells through ROS-Activated Mitochondrial Apoptosis Pathway.” Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan, 1 Jan. 2018, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpb/41/1/41_b17-00562/_html/-char/ja.
  4. Zhao, Y., Wang, M., & Xu, B. (2021). A comprehensive review on secondary metabolites and health-promoting effects of edible lichen. Journal of Functional Foods, 80, 104283
  5. Cao, S., Zhang, F., Liu, C., Hao, Z., Tian, Y., Zhu, L., & Zhou, Q. (2015). Distribution patterns of haplotypes for symbionts from Umbilicaria esculenta and U. muehlenbergii reflect the importance of reproductive strategy in shaping population genetic structure. BMC microbiology, 15(1), 1-12.
  6. Kim, H. S., Kim, J. Y., Lee, H. K., Kim, M. S., Lee, S. R., Kang, J. S., Kim, H. M., Lee, K. A., Hong, J. T., Kim, Y., & Han, S. B. (2010). Dendritic cell activation by glucan isolated from umbilicaria esculenta. Immune network, 10(6), 188–197. https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2010.10.6.188
  7. Fukuoka, F., Nakanishi, M., Shibata, S., Nishikawa, Y., Takeda, T., & Tanaka, M. (1968). Polysaccharides in lichens and fungi. II. Anti-tumor activities on sarcoma-180 of the polysaccharide preparations from Gyrophora esculenta Miyoshi, Cetraria islandica (L.) Ach. var. orientalis Asahina, and some other lichens. Gan, 59(5), 421–432.
  8. Xu, B., Sung, C., & Han, B. (2011). Crystal structure characterization of natural allantoin from edible lichen Umbilicaria esculenta. Crystals, 1(3), 128-135.
  9. Boustie, J., Tomasi, S., & Grube, M. (2011). Bioactive lichen metabolites: alpine habitats as an untapped source. Phytochemistry Reviews, 10, 287-307.

[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

  • Moo-Sung Kim; Hong-Bum Cho (December 2007). "Melanogenesis Inhibitory Effects of Methanolic Extracts of Umbilicaria esculenta and Usnea longissima" (PDF). The Journal of Microbiology. 45 (6): 578–582.


  4. Hur, J. S., Kang, E. S., Kim, M., Oh, S. O., Kahng, H. Y., Kim, H. W., ... & Koh, Y. J. (2004). Recent Progress in Lichen Research in Korea-from Taxonomic Study to Environmental Application. The Plant Pathology Journal, 20(1), 30-40
  10. Kim, M. S., & Cho, H. B. (2007). Melanogenesis inhibitory effects of methanolic extracts of Umbilicaria esculenta and Usnea longissima. Journal of Microbiology, 45(6), 578-582.
  11. HIRABAYASHI, K., IWATA, S., ITO, M., SHIGETA, S., NARUI, T., MORI, T., & SHIBATA, S. (1989). Inhibitory effect of a lichen polysaccharide sulfate, GE-3-S, on the replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro. Chemical and pharmaceutical bulletin, 37(9), 2410-2412.
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