மருந்து அறிவியல் மற்றும் வளர்ந்து வரும் மருந்துகளின் இதழ்

Bioprospecting of Marine Bioactive Compounds: A Boon towards Developing Therapeutic Molecules to Curb Multifoliated Human Ailments

Amitha Kurian, Ajith J Nair, Prasitha K, Rubeena KA and Preetham Elumalai

Marine world comprises of varied fauna and flora. They are of immense utility to humans and related organism. Large number of bioactive compounds have been elucidated and studied so far. Most of the compounds are bioactive and are proved to have anti-cancer, anti- bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Some of them are also effective in curing diabetes and autoimmune diseases. The mechanism of action of these compounds is still under investigation. However, several potent drugs are isolated from marine organisms. Clinical trials have shown that they have good results of success as compared to contemporary drugs available in the market. Today marine bioactive compounds pave way to studies at molecular level in understanding drug action in organism. This is a yet to be explored area of study. Improved methodology and instrumentation help studies to be carried out in a more co-ordinated and time bound fashion. In this context, the present article provides an update on the plethora of natural marine compounds, their source and also their potential application in healing diseases.