The Search for New Drugs from Marine Organisms

In order to develop new drugs from underutilized marine sources, the chemistry and medicinal chemistry of pharmacologically active metabolites obtained from these sources were investigated. Marine organisms, including algae, sponges, bryozoans, soft corals, tunicates, etc., were collected. Fresh samples were also examined for the presence of marine microorganisms. Marine microorganisms deserve special attention for secondary metabolite production, because of their biosynthetic diversity and culturability. Their lipophilic extracts were screened using a variety of pharmacological assays. Bioassay-directed separation of active extracts by chromatography didentified many structurally diverse compounds. The isolation, characterization and structure-activity relationships are desribed here for inhibitors of inflammation, 5-lipoxygenase, lipid peroxide formation, and PAF binding.