title: Advances in algal drug research with emphasis on enzyme inhibitors.
abstract: Enzyme inhibitors are now included in all kinds of drugs essential to treat most of the human diseases including communicable, metabolic, cardiovascular, neurological diseases and cancer. Numerous marine algae have been reported to be a potential source of novel enzyme inhibitors with various pharmaceutical values. Thus, the purpose of this review is to brief the enzyme inhibitors from marine algae of therapeutic potential to treat common diseases. As per our knowledge this is the first review for the potential enzyme inhibitors from marine origin. This review contains 86 algal enzyme inhibitors reported during 1989-2013 and commercial enzyme inhibitors available in the market. Compounds in the review are grouped according to the disease conditions in which they are involved; diabetes, obesity, dementia, inflammation, melanogenesis, AIDS, hypertension and other viral diseases. The structure-activity relationship of most of the compounds are also discussed. In addition, the drug likeness properties of algal inhibitors were evaluated using Lipinski's 'Rule of Five'.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa.
authors.forename: Kannan R R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Rengasamy
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa.
authors.forename: Manoj G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa.
authors.forename: Wendy A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Stirk
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa. Electronic address: rcpgd@ukzn.ac.za.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Staden
mesh_terms: D055808:Drug Discovery; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D000459:Phaeophyceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000737:chemistry*; D012624:Seaweed / Q000737:chemistry*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Algal drugs; Dementia; Diabetes; Drug likeness; Enzyme inhibitors; Inflammation; Structure activity relationship