Drugs from the Sea
Author: Nobuhiro Fusetani
Publisher: Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers
Published: 2000-01-01
Total Pages: 164
ISBN-13: 3805570988
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThe present book consists of three parts: discovery, development and production of drugs from marine organisms. Marine bacteria, fungi, microalgae, sponges and opisthobranch mollusks have attracted much attention as sources of potential drugs, which is described in the first part. A pain-killing drug developed from the venom of a cone shell is a recent highlight of marine natural product research; the interesting story of its discovery is provided. The second part features an anticancer drug with a novel mode of action which was originally isolated from a songe and a potential antiosteoporotic drug of a hexacoral origin. But the most serious problem for development of drugs from the sea remains supply. Two possible solutions, production by fermentation and by aquaculture, are described in the third part. Identification and culture of symbiotic bacteria which are responsible for the production of bioactive sponge metabolites are the main objectives for many researchers.