Vulpinic Acid is a lichen metabolite with anti-inflammatory properties. Vulpinic Acid acts as photoprotective agent and antifungal agent. Vulpinic acid mainly affects cell cycle, glycogen metabolism, transcription and translation to fungi. Vulpinic acid showed very strong inhibition effect on TrxR (mitochondrial thioredoxin reductase), so it may be used as a potential drug for cancer therapy. Vulpinic acid possesses diverse biological activities, and lichens containing Vulpinic acid have a strong history of medicinal use. For example, Eskimos and people of Northern Europe have used lichens containing Vulpinic acid to poison the wolf and fox.Lichens containing Vulpinic acid are used as fodder for reindeer and emergency food by Arctic and Subarctic peoples. In central Europe, members of the genus Cetraria, which is known to produce Vulpinic acid, have been used as laxatives and have been taken for coughing, including that associated with tuberculosis.

Djenkolic acid (or sometimes jengkolic acid) is a sulfur-containing toxin and non-protein amino acid naturally found in Djenkol beans of the South-East Asian legumes jengkol (Archidendron jiringa). Djenkolic acid is toxic to humans, often causing kidney failure. The toxicity of djenkolic acid in humans arises from its poor solubility under acidic conditions after consumption of the Djenkol bean. The amino acid precipitates into crystals which cause mechanical irritation of the renal tubules and urinary tract, resulting in symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, loin pains, severe colic, nausea, vomiting, dysuria, gross hematuria, and oliguria, occurring 2 to 6 hours after the beans were ingested. Treatment for this toxicity requires hydration to increase urine flow and alkalinization of urine by sodium bicarbonate. Furthermore, this poisoning can be prevented when consuming Djenkol beans by boiling them beforehand, since djenkolic acid is removed from the beans.