Lichens and Health-Trends and Perspectives for the Study of Biodiversity in the Antarctic Ecosystem

Abstract

Lichens are an important vegetative component of the Antarctic terrestrial ecosystem and present a wide diversity. Recent advances in omics technologies have allowed for the identification of lichen microbiomes and the complex symbiotic relationships that contribute to their survival mechanisms under extreme conditions. The preservation of biodiversity and genetic resources is fundamental for the balance of ecosystems and for human and animal health. In order to assess the current knowledge on Antarctic lichens, we carried out a systematic review of the international applied research published between January 2019 and February 2024, using the PRISMA model (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Articles that included the descriptors "lichen" and "Antarctic" were gathered from the web, and a total of 110 and 614 publications were retrieved from PubMed and ScienceDirect, respectively. From those, 109 publications were selected and grouped according to their main research characteristics, namely, (i) biodiversity, ecology and conservation; (ii) biomonitoring and environmental health; (iii) biotechnology and metabolism; (iv) climate change; (v) evolution and taxonomy; (vi) reviews; and (vii) symbiosis. Several topics were related to the discovery of secondary metabolites with potential for treating neurodegenerative, cancer and metabolic diseases, besides compounds with antimicrobial activity. Survival mechanisms under extreme environmental conditions were also addressed in many studies, as well as research that explored the lichen-associated microbiome, its biodiversity, and its use in biomonitoring and climate change, and reviews. The main findings of these studies are discussed, as well as common themes and perspectives.

Keywords: Antarctica; biotechnology; climate changes; environmental health; lichens; symbiosis.

Figure 1

Number of publications in the PubMed database from January 1980 to December 2023 that include the descriptor “lichen” (light blue, with scale on the left); number of publications on lichens related to Antarctic ecosystems in the PubMed database from January 1980 to December 2023, including the descriptors “lichen” and “Antarctic” (dark blue, with scale on the right).

Figure 2

Flowchart of selection steps for studies related to lichen research in Antarctic ecosystem (January 2019 to February 2024).

Figure 3

Number of studies included by thematic area (January 2019–February 2024).

Figure 4

Heatmap showing the number of studies according to the country of the first author involved in lichen research in the Antarctic ecosystem by thematic area (January 2019–February 2024). Data spanned from white (low number of articles) to dark blue (higher number of articles), as illustrated by the color scale in the bar.