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Natural products are
both a fundamental source of new chemical diversity and an integral
component of today's pharmaceutical compendium. The ocean environment is
massively complex, consisting of extreme variations in pressure,
salinity, temperature, and biological habitats. The biota of marine
algae has developed unique metabolic and physiological functions that
not only ensure survival in extreme habitats but also offer a potential
for the production of novel enzymes and bioactive metabolites for
potential exploitation. The natural concentrations of many
pharmacologically active compounds from seaweeds are often minute and
sometimes account for less than 10–6 % of the respective wet weight.
The red algae belonging to
the genus Laurencia (Ceramiales, Rhodomelaceae) are unique for
their ability to biosynthesize a wide variety of secondary metabolites
with diverse structural features depending on the species and
localities. The majority of these metabolites are characterized by their
relatively high degree of halogenation. The vast majority of Laurencia
metabolites includes sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes, and
C15-acetogenins. Most species of Laurencia biosynthesize a
characteristic major metabolite or a class of compounds that are not
commonly widely distributed within the genus. Halogenated metabolites
have been shown to possess antibacterial, antifungal, insecticidal
activities, as well as worth noting cytotoxicity against mammalian
cells. |
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