Open AccessBioactive Compounds from Marine Microalgae
Author(s) -
Takeshi Yasumoto,
Masahiro Satake
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
chimia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.387
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 2673-2424
pISSN - 0009-4293
DOI - 10.2533/chimia.1998.63
Subject(s) - marine invertebrates , antifungal , algae , biology , marine toxin , chemistry , biochemistry , botany , fishery , microbiology and biotechnology , toxin
Marine microalgae are relatively unexploited but rich resources for bioactive compounds. Toxins initially isolated from fish or shellfish were found to originate from microalgae, especially dinoflagellates. These toxins are useful tools to investigate the structure and function of ion channels on cell membranes or to elucidate the mechanism of tumor promotion based on their specific inhibitory action against protein phosphatases. The number of antifungal or antitumoral substances of microalgal origin is rapidly increasing. More importantly, structural similarities have been found between many bioactives found in marine invertebrates and those in freshwater blue-green algae. The similarities point to a great potential of marine blue-greens, the least explored resource, for producing bioactive compounds of medicinal value.