Bryophytes: Bio- and Chemical Diversity, Bioactivity and Chemosystematics

Abstract

The bryophytes contain the Marchantiophyta (liverwort), Bryophyta (moss) and Anthocerotophyta (hornwort) among which the Marchantiophyta contain cellular oil body and they produce a number of mono-, sesqui- and diterpenoids, aromatic compounds like bibenzyl, bis(bibenzyls) and acetogenins. Several of these compounds show interesting biological activity such as insecticide, insect antifeedant, cytotoxic, piscicidal, muscle relaxing, allergenic contact dermatitis, anti-HIV, DNA polymerase p, 5-lipoxygenase, calmodium inhibitory, anti-obesity, neurotrophic, cyclooxygenase, hyaluronidase and NO production inhibitory, antimicrobial and antifungal activities. Each liverwort biosynthesizes peculiar components, which are valuable for classification of liverworts. The typical chemical structures and bioactivity of the selected liverwort constituents as well as chemosystematics of several species of the Marchantiophyta are surveyed.