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Marine Pharmacology: Bioactive Molecules from the Sea

Marine Pharmacology: Bioactive Molecules from the Sea Mankind has known for at least several thousand years that marine organisms contain substances capable of potent biological activity (1). Undoubtedly we are aware that most of the currently available therapeutic agents stem either directly or indirectly from naturally occurring organic molecules derived from terrestrial plants and/or animals. However, the abundant floras and faunas inhabiting the 70% of the Earth's surface covered by the ocean waters remain relatively unexplored. It is only in the past three decades that a significant research activity has suggested that the sea offers an enormous biomedical potential yet to be harnessed by man. Attention to pharmacologically active substances in the sea in recent decades was first drawn by Emerson & Taft (2). Several subsequent reviews and monographs have dealt mostly with the pharmacology and toxicity of crude and semipurified extracts of marine organisms (3-13). More recent reviews, however, describe the pharmacology of some of the pure compounds of marine origin (14-17). This review focuses on pharmacological activities of pure compounds iso­ lated from marine organisms, as well as the pharmacologic activities of some highly potent substances broadly given the notorious name of marine toxins. Note that we take the same view of toxicity http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology Annual Reviews

Marine Pharmacology: Bioactive Molecules from the Sea

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Publisher
Annual Reviews
Copyright
Copyright 1986 Annual Reviews. All rights reserved
Subject
Review Articles
ISSN
0362-1642
eISSN
1545-4304
DOI
10.1146/annurev.pa.26.040186.001001
pmid
3521453
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Mankind has known for at least several thousand years that marine organisms contain substances capable of potent biological activity (1). Undoubtedly we are aware that most of the currently available therapeutic agents stem either directly or indirectly from naturally occurring organic molecules derived from terrestrial plants and/or animals. However, the abundant floras and faunas inhabiting the 70% of the Earth's surface covered by the ocean waters remain relatively unexplored. It is only in the past three decades that a significant research activity has suggested that the sea offers an enormous biomedical potential yet to be harnessed by man. Attention to pharmacologically active substances in the sea in recent decades was first drawn by Emerson & Taft (2). Several subsequent reviews and monographs have dealt mostly with the pharmacology and toxicity of crude and semipurified extracts of marine organisms (3-13). More recent reviews, however, describe the pharmacology of some of the pure compounds of marine origin (14-17). This review focuses on pharmacological activities of pure compounds iso­ lated from marine organisms, as well as the pharmacologic activities of some highly potent substances broadly given the notorious name of marine toxins. Note that we take the same view of toxicity

Journal

Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology – Annual Reviews

Published: Apr 1, 1986

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