Extraction efficiency analysis of usnic acid from lichens of Belarusian Polesie

The extraction efficiency of usnic acid by acetone, ethanol and benzene from lichens Evernia prunastri, Ramalina pollinaria and Cladonia arbuscula was investigated. The methods of cold maceration of biomass with the appropriate solvent and extraction in the Soxhlet extractor - directly and with preliminary cold maceration of the biomass with hexane were used. The extraction efficiency of usnic acid from the biomass Evernia prunastri and Ramalina pollinaria was greatest when using the method of cold maceration with hexane for 7 days, followed by extraction with ethanol in the Soxhlet extractor - up to 0.43% and 1.81% of the air-dry mass of the lichen, respectively. From Cladonia arbuscula biomass, usnic acid was most efficiently recovered by the method of cold maceration with acetone - up to 2.54% of the air-dry mass of the lichen.