Description
Marine-derived bioactive compounds offer an abundant source of pharmacologically active agents with great chemical diversity and complexity and the potential to produce valuable therapeutic entities. The growing need for novel bioactives for the treatment of severe human diseases, such as cancer, microbial infections, and inflammatory processes, combined with the recognition that marine organisms provide a rich potential source of such substances, demands intensive research for new pharmaceutically active substances from marine organisms. Marine macroalgae, microalgae, blue-green algae, invertebrates, vertebrates, and marine-derived microorganisms are rich sources of pharmaceutically active compounds and have been recognized in traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times. Secondary metabolites like phlorotannins, phenolics, alkaloids, and other bioactive compounds such as fucoxanthin, sulfated polysaccharides, bioactive peptides, chitooligosaccharides from chitin and chitosan, and so on are well recognized for their pharmaceutical benefits.
With valued contributions from world-leading experts in Korea, Japan, China, UK, Germany, Egypt, Turkey, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia, this book provides a comprehensive account of marine-derived bioactive pharmaceuticals and their potential beneficial effects such as antioxidant, anticancer, antiviral, anticoagulant, antidiabetic, antiallergy, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antibacterial, and radioprotective activities. Moreover, it discusses the sources, isolation and purification, chemistry, functionality interactions, applications, and industrial perspectives of a variety of marine-derived pharmaceuticals. The book may be used as a text or reference for fellows in medicinal chemistry, pharmacognosy, food chemistry, and health sciences at the senior undergraduate and graduate levels. Scientists in academia, research laboratories, marine biochemistry, natural products sciences, and industry will also find it of interest.
I am grateful to the experts who have provided state-of-the-art valued contributions to this book, and I am also grateful to CRC Press for the successful completion of this book.
Se-Kwon Kim
Pukyong National University