Umbilicaria esculenta

Umbilicaria esculenta
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Umbilicariaceae
Genus: Umbilicaria
Species: U. esculenta
Binomial name
Umbilicaria esculenta
(Miyoshi) Minks

Umbilicaria esculenta is a lichen of the genus Umbilicaria that grows on rocks. It can be found in East Asia including in China, Japan, and Korea. It is edible when properly prepared and has been 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.

In vitro antiviral activity

Polysaccharides from the lichen have been shown to inhibit replication of the HIV virus in laboratory tests.[1]

References

  1. ↑ Hirabayashi K, Iwata S, Ito M, Shigeta S, Narui T, Mori T, et al. (1989). "Inhibitory effect of a lichen polysaccharide sulfate, GE-3-S, on the replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro.". Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 37 (9): 2410–2. doi:10.1248/cpb.37.2410. PMID 2575016.
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