Thallophytes

Obectives
Students should be able to:
• Define Thallophytes
• Describe Bacteria and state their medicinal values
• Describe fungi and state their medicinal values
• Describe Lichen and state their medicinal values
• Describe algae and state their medicinal values
 INTRODUCTION

• Thallophytes are a polyphyletic group of non-mobile organisms.

• Relatively simple plants and include lichens, algae and bacteria.

• Thallophyta have been divided into two subdivisions;

a) myxothallophyta (myxomycetes)

b) euthallophyta (bacteria, fungi, linchens, algae)

 BACTERIOPHYTA

• Unicellular organisms, size 0.75 to 8µm

• They produce by binary fission

• Contain no chlorophyll except in one group

• Bacteria exist in a number of shapes

• Rod shaped or bacillary; forms e.g. Clostridium welchii,
Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis

• Spherical or coccal; forms, which occur singularly but usually

found in characteristic aggregates i.e. in chain( streptococci)
in groups of two (diplococci), four (tetracocci)
• Twisted or spirillar forms which if having a single twist
belong to the genus Vibrio, while those with more than one
twist belong to the genus Spirillum
• Branched forms which sometimes occur in the genus
Mycobacterium
Classification
Phyla Orders Families
Bacteriophyta Eubacteriales Rhizobiaceae
Chrysophyta Discales Actinodiscaceae
Phaephyta Fucales Fuceae,

Sargassaceae
Rhodophyta Gigartinales Gracilariaceae

Gigatinaceae
BACTERIOPHYTA SPICIES
• Abiotrophia
• Acaricomes
• Acetitomaculum
• Avetivibrio
• Actinomyes
• Acidovorax
• Acidobacterium
• Alkalibacillus
ALGAE SPECIES
• Actinasrtum
• Aphanizomenon flos-aquae
• Achnantes
• Botryococcus
• Bulbochaete
• Chalmydomonadales
• Chlorophyta
• Closterium
• Bacterial action is used in the production of vinegar, acetone,
butyl alcohol, lactic acid and L-sorbose

• Reactions that are useful is the ability of bacteria to ferment

carbohydrate with the formation of acidic and gaseous products

• The ability to digest protein as shown by gelatin liquefaction

• The production of hydrogen sulphide from organic sulphur
compounds

• Bacteria are most important in medicine and pharmacy in the

following respect

• As disease producing organisms

• For producing antibiotics

• In genetic engineering involving recombinant DNA( e.g. the

production of human insulin)
FUNGI
• Saprophytic members of thallophyta.

• Entirely devoid of chlorophyll.

• Plant body is made up of filaments or Hyphae together which

constitutes the mycelium.

• The cell wall in many actinomycetes and Phycomycetes consists mainly

of cellulose.

• In other fungi the cellulose is replaced by another nitrogenous substance

chitin.

• Sexual and asexual reproduction occur.

• Oospores are produced endogenously.

• Basidiospores are produced exogenously.

• A member of this group causes wart disease in potatoes

(Synchytrium endobioticum)

• Others are poisonous (Amanita phalloides) or A. vilosa

• Used as source of antibiotics (Penicillium notatum) or

chrysogenum
 Classification
class order families
Phycomycetes Mucorales Mucoraceae
Ascomytes Protoascales Saccharomycetaceae
Plectascales Asperillaceae
Sphaerials Hypocreaceae
clavicipitales Clavicipitaceae
Basidiomycetes Polyporinales Polyporaceae
Agaricales Tricholometaceae
Amanitaceae
Agaricaceae
phallinales Phallinaceae
Fungi Imperfecti Moniliales dematiaceae
FUNGAL SPICIES
• Amanita
• Amilaria
• Aspergillus
• Boletus
• Cyathus
• Deadly fungi
• Entoloma
• Fusarium
 PHARMACEUTICAL APPLICATIONS

• Saccharification of starchy materials.

• For producing D-lactic acid from glucose.
• Important in microbial conversion of steroids.
• Produces torula yeast, a rich sources of proteins and vitamins.
• Source of some antibiotics such as penicillin and griseofulvin.
• Source of hallucinogenic substances such as psilosin.
• Fungi spores are a common source of allergers.
Source drugs
Actenoplanes Teicoplanis
tiechomyceticus (soil)
Streptomyces Vancomycin
orientalis
Bacilus subtilis Bactracin
Streptomyces Cycloserine
garyphalus
Streptomyces cattleya Carbapenem
Streptomyces Clavulanic
clavuligerus acid
Penicillum fungi Penicillins
LICHENS
 Lichens

• Lichens grow on most surfaces

• They cover about 6% of the Earth’s surface

• Lichens can be termed as “Microlichens or Macrolichens”

• Lichens grow like Mosses and common ones have names

that contain moss in them, e.g reindeermoss, Iceland
moss
Classification
Order Family Genera (genus)

Roccellales Roccellacea Rocella (31 spp.)

Lecanorales Pertusariaceae Pertusaria (608 spp.)

Lecanoraceae Lecanora (1100 spp.)
Parmeliaceae Parmelia (800 spp.)
Cetraria (62 spp.)
Usneaceae Usnea (500 spp.)
Evernia (8 spp.)
Alectoria (48 spp.)
Caloplacales Caloplacaceae Caloplaca (480 spp.)
Teloschistaceae Xanthoria (21 spp.)
LICHENS SPECIES

• Xanthoparmelia

• Bryoria fremontii

• Yunnan snub-nosed monkey

 Medicinal Uses
• 50% of Lichens have been found to posses antibiotic
properties

• They are effective against gram negative bacteria including

species known to cause;

- Boils

- Scarlet fever

- Pneumonia
 Medicinal Uses continued……

• Most common Lichen antibiotic is Usnic acid from the Usnea

spp.

• It has been used for treatment of various conditions in;

- Mouth, stomach, intestines, anus, vagina, nose, ear and skin

ailments.

- wounds, skin eruptions and athelete’s foot

 Medicinal Uses Continued….
Russia a preparation of its sodium salt sold under the brand Binan
is used to treat,
- Varicose, Trophic Ulcers, 2nd and 3rd degree burns and for plastic
surgery
• Iceland Moss (c.islandica spp.) has been used to musk the taste
of nauseous drugs
• And in combination with other species (e.g cladonia spp.) for
treatment of coughs.
Caloplaca_marina
Caloplaca_thallincola
Usnea_Subfloridana
Parmotrema_tinctorum
Blistered_jelly_lichen
• PHAEOPHYTA- LAMINARALES
• Laminariaceae
• The brown algae are mainly marine and vary in size-
microscopic branched filaments to leathery frond-like
forms of up to 60 m in length.
• They owe their brown color to the carotenoid
pigment fucoxanthin.