3.

MARINE SOURCES:

In recent years, there has been a great interest in finding lead compounds from marine sources.
Coral, sponges, fish, and marine microorganisms have a wealth of biologically potent chemicals
with interesting inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer activity. For example, curacin A is
obtained from a marine cyanobacterium and shows potent antitumor activity. Other antitumor
agents derived from marine sources include eleutherobin, discodermolide, bryostatins,
dolostatins, and cephalostatins.
Natural products from marine organisms are released into the water and therefore are rapidly
diluted; accordingly they must be very potent materials to have the desired end effect. The richly
available marine biodiversity that is available to us has to this point only been explored to an
extremely limited extent. Furthermore, the primary chemical diversity available from marine
organisms is most likely capable of delivering an even greater abundance of secondary
metabolites for research use. For all of these reasons it is believed that the natural products that
are available from the seas and oceans provide a tremendous opportunity for the discovery of
novel therapeutic agents. The first discovery of a marine-based biologically active compound of
therapeutic interest was really quite by accident approximately 10 years after the end of the
World War II [29, 30]. The C-nucleosides isolated from the Caribbean sponge Cryptotheca
crypta were found to possess antiviral activity.  

Portrait

This discovery eventually led to the development of cytosine arabinoside, a useful antineoplastic
agent. Biologically active marine proteins derived from the venom of marine snails of the Conus
genus have attracted a significant level of research over the years. These conotoxin peptides
interact in a unique fashion with voltage-gated ion channels to induce a wide spectrum of
Pharmacological effects. Such effects include anesthesia, analgesia, and anticonvulsant activity.
The conotoxin ziconotide is currently under review in the United States for use in the treatment
of chronic, opiate-resistant pain.
According to some estimates, there are most likely approximately 1000 different Conus snails.
Each snail produces up to approximately 200 different venoms. The broad spectrum of biological
activities manifested by each of these venom components multiplied by the number of snails and
venom components available suggests significant opportunity for new drugs from the snail alone.
The mussel Mytilis edulis has been reported to produce antibacterial peptides and cytotoxic
lectins. Horseshoe crabs produce a variety of different antibacterial peptides and proteins.
Indeed, Limulus polyphemus produces an interesting group of antimicrobial peptides referred to
as polyphemusins, and a synthetic peptide based on the sequence of polyphemusin II has been
reported to strongly inhibit the cytopathic effect of infection with HIV.
 Compound Origin Uses
Artemisinin Sweet wormwood Antimalarial derived from a traditional chinese medicine.
Synthetic analogue of
Acyclovir Used to treat herpes infections
cytarabine from a marine source
Cyclosporin Fungus Used to prevent tissue graft rejection.
Digitalis has been used since 1775: digoxin remains an
Digoxin Foxglove
effective drug for heart failure.
Used in manufacture of steroidal contraceptives and In
Diosgenin Mexican wild yam
hormone replacement.
Synthetic analogue of podophyllotoxin. Used in
Etoposide May apple
chemotherapy to treat testicular and some lung cancers.
Galanthamine Snowdrop In trials for Alzheimer’s disease.
Mevastatin Penicillium  Used to reduce blood cholesterol levels.
Podophyllotoxin  May apple Used against warts and skin cancers.
Pethidine Synthetic analogue of atropine Morphine-like analgesic
Synthetic analogue  of snake
Tirofiban A blocker of platelet aggregation used in angina.
venom  peptide 
Vinblastine Periwinkle Used to treat leukemias and lymphomas.
Vinblastine Periwinkle Used to treat leukemias and lymphomas.