title: Natural Products Diversity of Marine Ascidians (Tunicates; Ascidiacea) and Successful Drugs in Clinical Development.
abstract: This present study reviewed the chemical diversity of marine ascidians and their pharmacological applications, challenges and recent developments in marine drug discovery reported during 1994-2014, highlighting the structural activity of compounds produced by these specimens. Till date only 5% of living ascidian species were studied from <3000 species, this study represented from family didemnidae (32%), polyclinidae (22%), styelidae and polycitoridae (11-12%) exhibiting the highest number of promising MNPs. Close to 580 compound structures are here discussed in terms of their occurrence, structural type and reported biological activity. Anti-cancer drugs are the main area of interest in the screening of MNPs from ascidians (64%), followed by anti-malarial (6%) and remaining others. FDA approved ascidian compounds mechanism of action along with other compounds status of clinical trials (phase 1 to phase 3) are discussed here in. This review highlights recent developments in the area of natural products chemistry and biotechnological approaches are emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, 98166, Messina, Italy. spalanisamy@unime.it.
authors.forename: Satheesh Kumar
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2152-1265
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Palanisamy
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Rajendran
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, 98166, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marino
keywords: Cancer; Cytotoxicity; Diversity; Metabolites; Pharmacology