Guanidine Alkaloids in Marine Natural Products
Summary
Marine-derived guanidine alkaloids constitute a structurally diverse family of natural products defined by one or more guanidinium groups. Predominantly isolated from sessile invertebrates such as sponges, tunicates and cnidarians, as well as associated microorganisms, these compounds feature cyclic, polycyclic and oligomeric scaffolds that underpin their stability and target specificity. Bioactivities span anticancer, antimicrobial, antiviral and antiparasitic effects, mediated through modulation of apoptotic and autophagic pathways, disruption of ion channels and interference with kinases and transcription factors. Owing to supply limitations from natural sources, synthetic and semi-synthetic approaches alongside genome mining of biosynthetic gene clusters have been developed to secure material for biological evaluation. The global significance of marine guanidine alkaloids lies in their promise as lead structures for therapeutic development, chemical probes for signal transduction and templates for analogue generation. Continued interdisciplinary efforts integrate chemical ecology, synthetic chemistry and pharmacology to unlock their full potential and to overcome challenges in sustainable production.
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Guanidine Alkaloids in Marine Natural Products publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in guanidine alkaloids in marine natural products across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Guanidine alkaloids: Natural products containing one or more guanidinium functional groups, often with cyclic or polycyclic frameworks.
Apoptosis: Programmed cell death characterised by cell shrinkage, DNA fragmentation and caspase activation.
Neoplastic transformation: Process by which normal cells acquire malignant characteristics and uncontrolled proliferative capacity.
Autophagy: Cellular degradation pathway involving lysosomal breakdown of cytoplasmic components.
Cytotoxicity: Ability of a compound to kill or inhibit the growth of cells.
References
- Marine-Derived Anticancer Agents Targeting Apoptotic Pathways: Exploring the Depths for Novel Cancer Therapies. Marine Drugs (2024).
- Crambescidin 800, Isolated from the Marine Sponge Monanchora viridis, Induces Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells. Marine Drugs (2018).
- Identification of Fromiamycalin and Halaminol A from Australian Marine Sponge Extracts with Anthelmintic Activity against Haemonchus contortus. Marine Drugs (2019).
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