Marine or blue biothenology encompasses the applications of biothenology tools on marine

resources, It encompasses those efforts that involve the marine resources of the world, as either
the source or target of biothechnology applications. Biotechnology is the application of science
and technology to living organisms, as well as parts, products and models and alters living or
nonliving materials for the productions of knowledge, goods and human services.

Seaweeds are one of the potential contributors for cosmetic compounds production. The majority
of cosmetic compounds are seaweeds.

Cosmeceuticals have attracted and increased attention to the world, becaus of their beneficial
effects on human health. Hence, bioactive subsances derived fro marine organisms have diverse
functional roles as secondary metabolites, and these properties and biotechnological aspects of
the chemical structures, physical and biochemical properties and biotechnological applications of
bioactive substances deirived for marine organisms.

marine natural Product discovery

The phytochemical drug discovery process can be divided into four steps: drug target
identification, target validation, lead compounds identification, and optimization. Marine natural
products have often opened up completely new therapeutic approaches.

Some of the compounds from marine invertebrates initially discovered were either too toxic or
not effective in treating diseases for pharmaceutical purposes, but were found to be useful as bio-
logical tools, cosmetic ingredients, or agrochemicals (Fenical 1997). To date, examples of
marine- derived drugs include an antibiotic from fungi, two closely related compounds from a
sponge that treat cancer and the herpes virus, and a neurotoxin from a snail that has painkiller
properties mak- ing it 10,000 times more potent than morphine without any side effects.
However, there are several more marine-derived compounds currently in clinical trials, and it is
likely that many more will advance to the clinic as more scientists look to the sea for these
biotechnological uses.

PHYTOCHEMICAL COMPOUNDS WITH COSMECEUTICAL APPLICATIONS

Mycosporines and mycosporine-like amino acids are low molecular weight water-soluble
molecules absorbing UV radiation in the wavelength range of 310 ~ 365 nm secondary
metabolites involved in the protection of marine and fresh water organisms against solar
radiation. They are accumulated in a wide range of prokaryotic microorganisms (cyanobacteria),
eukaryotic microorganisms (microalgae, yeast, and fungi), marine microalgae, corals, and other
marine organ- isms. MAA plays a role in skin protection against UV radiation.

These compounds are part of a complex mixture reported (Look et al. 1986) from Caribbean gor- gonian
Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae and have the distinction of being the first commercialized human use
marine natural product. As a particularly purified defined mixture, they are constituents of the cosmetic
“antiwrinkle” sold by Estee Lauder under the brand name Resilience. However, the pseudopterosins
mechanism was further delineated (Mayer et al. 1998). The pseudopterosins are tricyclic diterpene
glycosides isolated from the Caribbean Sea whip (gorgonian) Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae
(Gorgoniidae). They are potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents and appear to inhibit eicosanoid
biosynthesis by inhibition of both PLA2 and 5-lopoxygen- ase. Interestingly, the pseudopterosins that are
found to inhibit only pseudopterosins may well be a function of the glycoside moiety and a novel
example of drug targeting (Potts and Faulkner 1992).