Production of lichen metabolites by immobilized cells of Cladonia clathrata AHTI & XAVIER FILHO

The production of lichen metabolites by immobilized cells of Cladonia clathrata Ahti & Xavier Filho, collected from sandy soils of the tableland of Alhandra, Para iba, NE of Brazil is reported. Cells were entrapped in kaolinite, and 0.1 mM, 1.0 mM and 10 mM sodium acetate was added to immobilized cells as a precursor of lichen phenolics. Entrapped cells produced the highest amount of some substances that have not been reported in the literature, although they were also detected from organic extracts of the thallus in natura. The concentration of the precursor seemed to enhance the production of a specific compound, protocetraric acid, by cells maintained at 0,1mM; a non identified compound at 1.0 mM and the Cph-2 substance at 10mM. The data lead us to conclude that the immobilized cells have a better performance for producing metabolites. However, the major phenolic of this lichen species, fumarprotocetraric acid, was produced at very low amounts by cells loaded with 1.0 mM acetate.