Natural Product Alkaloids from Marine Organisms

Marine natural product alkaloids comprise a diverse family of nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites sourced from sponges, algae, molluscs and their associated microorganisms. Structural motifs span simple pyrroles and imidazoles through to complex polycyclic frameworks such as indole-fused diketopiperazines and brominated pyrrols. These compounds display a broad array of bioactivities, including antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Notably, sponge-derived alkaloids have yielded approved therapeutics, while fungal and bacterial metabolites are emerging as potent leads against multidrug-resistant pathogens. Biosynthetic pathways in marine settings often involve unique enzymatic halogenation and prenylation steps driven by ecological pressures. Recent advances in high-resolution spectroscopy, genome mining and cultivation technology have accelerated discovery, yet sustainable supply and complete structural characterisation remain challenging. Integration of synthetic biology and total synthesis strategies promises scalable access to rare marine alkaloids and novel analogues, underpinning future pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Natural Product Alkaloids from Marine Organisms publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in natural product alkaloids from marine organisms across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Alkaloid: A naturally occurring organic compound containing one or more basic nitrogen atoms, often with significant pharmacological activity.

Indole diketopiperazine alkaloid: A heterocyclic molecule combining an indole moiety with a 2,5-diketopiperazine core, noted for diverse bioactivities.

Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC): The lowest concentration of a substance required to prevent visible growth of a microorganism.

DPPH radical scavenging assay: A common method for evaluating antioxidant capacity by measuring the reduction of the stable DPPH free radical.

References

1. Antibacterial Indole Diketopiperazine Alkaloids from the Deep-Sea Cold Seep-Derived Fungus Aspergillus chevalieri. Marine Drugs (2023).
2. Novel anti-inflammatory diketopiperazine alkaloids from the marine-derived fungus Penicillium brasilianum. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology (2024).
3. Studies of chemical distribution and pharmacological activities of porifera-derived alkaloids: A review (2000–2023). European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Reports (2024).