Challenges and rewards of research in marine natural products chemistry in Brazil.
Brazil is blessed with a great biodiversity, which constitutes one of the most important sources of biologically active compounds, even if it has been largely underexplored. As is the case of the Amazon and Atlantic rainforests, the Brazilian marine fauna remains practically unexplored in the search for new biologically active natural products. Considering that marine organisms have been shown to be one of the most promising sources of new bioactive compounds for the treatment of different human diseases, the 8000 km of the Brazilian coastline represents a great potential for finding new pharmacologically active secondary metabolites. This review presents the status of marine natural products chemistry in Brazil, including results reported by different research groups with emphasis on the isolation, structure elucidation, and evaluation of biological activities of natural products isolated from sponges, ascidians, octocorals, and Opistobranch mollusks. A brief overview of the first Brazilian program on the isolation of marine bacteria and fungi, directed toward the production of biologically active compounds, is also discussed. The current multidisciplinary collaborative program under development at the Universidade de São Paulo proposes to establish a new paradigm toward the management of the Brazilian marine biodiversity, integrating research on the species diversity, ecology, taxonomy, and biogeography of marine invertebrates and microorganisms. This program also includes a broad screening program of Brazilian marine bioresources, to search for active compounds that may be of interest for the development of new drug leads.
Berlinck
Roberto G S
RG
Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, CP 780, CEP 13560-970, São Carlos, SP, Brazil. rgsberlinck@iqsc.usp.br
Hajdu
Eduardo
E
da Rocha
Rosana M
RM
de Oliveira
Jaine H H L
JH
Hernández
Isara L C
IL
Seleghim
Mirna H R
MH
Granato
Ana Claudia
AC
de Almeida
Erika V R
EV
Nuñez
Cecília V
CV
Muricy
Guilherme
G
Peixinho
Solange
S
Pessoa
Claudia
C
Moraes
Manoel O
MO
Cavalcanti
Bruno C
BC
Nascimento
Gislene G F
GG
Thiemann
Otavio
O
Silva
Marcio
M
Souza
Ana O
AO
Silva
Celio L
CL
Minarini
Paulo R R
PR
D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000737:chemistry; D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D001938:Brazil; D008386:Marine Biology; D015394:Molecular Structure; D008974:Mollusca / Q000737:chemistry; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011161:Porifera / Q000737:chemistry; D014561:Urochordata / Q000737:chemistry
D001688:Biological Products; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations