Beneficial Effects of Liposomal Formulations of Lichen Substances: A Review

Lichens are commonly used as essential traditional medicines to treat various conditions, including skin disorders, wounds, digestive, respiratory, obstetric, and gynecological problems in many cultures in Africa, Asia, Europe, Haitian, Oceania, and North and South America. Lichens have been deeply investigated for their phytochemical properties and, to date, numerous compounds (also known as substances) have been successfully isolated from the extracts. However, the low solubility and bioavailability of pure lichen substances have been widely recognized as significant issues hindering their biological applications. Recently, several groups have investigated the properties and the potential applications of lichen metabolites-based liposomal formulations and revealed a substantial improvement in their solubility, bioactivity, and toxicity in the animal. Thus, in this topical review, we aimed to provide an overview of liposomal structures, the efficacy of liposomal formulations, as well as their beneficial effects as compared to the free compounds themselves.