AN ANALYTICAL INVESTIGATION OF FLORISTICTIC DIVERSITY FOR BIOPROSPECTING LICHENS

From ancient times, lichens have been considered a veritable "treasure chest" of natural goods dueto their wide variety of applications. Traditions of using lichens in the kitchen, as medicine, in theperfume and dying industries, in brewing and distilling, and as decorative accents date backcenturies.In nature, lichen metabolites serve a wide variety of purposes, including but not limitedto: weathering rocks; protecting the photobiont from harmful UV rays; recycling nutrients;limiting herbivore damage; and maintaining the symbiotic balance.In addition to providingnutrition for animals, lichens are also used as human food by several societies. Certain lichenspecies are eaten only in times of hunger, while others are eaten as a staple meal or even as adelicacy due to their high nutrient content. Researchers looking into the matter have found that thehigh carbohydrate content of lichens is what makes them so appealing as a food source. Lichens,despite their low protein concentration, have some potential as a protein replacement. Because oftheir low fat content and high crude fiber content, lichens are an excellent dietary source