Natural products with health benefits from marine biological resources

Authors: ZHAO, YANG - University Of Maryland; Chen, Pei

Submitted to: Current Organic Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/25/2014
Publication Date: 5/16/2014
Citation: Zhao, Y., Chen, P. 2014. Natural products with health benefits from marine biological resources. Current Organic Chemistry. 10.2174/138527281807140515132853.

Interpretive Summary: The ocean is the cradle of lives, which provides a diverse array of intriguing natural products that has captured scientists’ attention in the past few decades due to their significant and extremely potent biological activities. In addition to being rich sources for pharmaceutical drugs, marine natural products are increasingly recognized as sources in the discovery of functional foods and dietary supplements and provide useful probes leading to breakthroughs in various scientific fields. With an emphasis on the bioactive and nutritional compounds discovered from the sea, four chapters are covered in this paper: 1) historical review of breakthroughs on marine natural products; 2) metabolites from marine organisms with nutritional values or health benefits; 3) commercial applications related to marine organisms and their metabolites; 4) separation and isolation techniques used in marine natural products.

Technical Abstract: The ocean is the cradle of lives, which provides a diverse array of intriguing natural products that has captured scientists’ attention in the past few decades due to their significant and extremely potent biological activities. In addition to being rich sources for pharmaceutical drugs, marine natural products are increasingly recognized as sources in the discovery of functional foods and dietary supplements and provide useful probes leading to breakthroughs in various scientific fields. With an emphasis on the bioactive and nutritional compounds discovered from the sea, four chapters are covered in this paper: 1) historical review of breakthroughs on marine natural products; 2) metabolites from marine organisms with nutritional values or health benefits; 3) commercial applications related to marine organisms and their metabolites; 4) separation and isolation techniques used in marine natural products.