If we want to develop marine drugs, we must first study the natural active ingredients in the ocean. There are many kinds of marine life and many special secondary metabolites. However, at present, the discovery of active components in marine organisms is still in the primary stage, and the number of marine organisms that have been systematically studied for chemical components is less than 1%. There are still a large number of marine organisms that need systematic chemical components research and activity screening. This study focuses on lower marine life. In general, the chemical structure of marine natural active components is complex and the content is very low. It is a great challenge for scientists to establish a rapid and trace method of extraction, separation and structure determination and discover new bioactive components by multi-target biological screening technology.
2. Structural optimization of marine natural active components
There are a large number of active natural ingredients in marine life, some of which can directly enter the research and development of drugs, while others cannot, because some of them have problems such as low activity or high toxicity. It is necessary to further optimize the structure of these active components as lead compounds, such as structural modification and structural transformation, so that some components have higher activity and less toxicity, and then enter the research and development of drugs.
3. Solve the problem of drug source
Many marine natural active ingredients are low in content, and it is difficult to collect raw materials, which limits the clinical research and industrialization of this compound. It is imperative to find an economic, artificial and environment-friendly drug source. Chemical synthesis is an important method to solve the problem of drug source. Now, many marine active natural products have been completely synthesized.
Explore new marine living resources
Marine biological resources are huge resources to be further developed. The diversity of environment determines the diversity of organisms and compounds. Exploring new marine biological resources has become an important development trend of marine drug research, and people should not underestimate it.
1. Marine microbial resources
We know that there are many kinds of marine microorganisms, and the diversity of their metabolites is unmatched by terrestrial microorganisms. However, there are only a few thousand kinds of marine microorganisms that can be cultured artificially, which has not exceeded the total 1%. So far, in order to separate metabolites, few marine microorganisms have been isolated and cultured. Because microorganisms can obtain a large number of fermentation products through fermentation engineering, the source of drugs is well guaranteed. In addition, marine microorganisms may be the real producers of natural active substances in their hosts, which is of great research significance.
2. Rare marine living resources
Marine animals and plants distributed in deep sea, polar regions and sparsely populated islands contain some special chemical components and functional genes. Large marine worms with special physiological functions have been found in the depths of the ocean below 6000 meters, and bacteria still exist in seawater with water temperature as high as 90℃, which provides a new reference for biological research.
3. Marine biological genetic resources
In nature, the active metabolites of marine organisms are obtained through the coding, regulation and expression of a single gene or genome. Obtaining these genes means obtaining these compounds. The study of marine medicinal gene resources will be of great benefit to the research and development of marine new drugs.
Marine biological gene resources are subdivided into the following two types:
(1) Marine animal and plant gene resources: including functional genes of active substances, such as active peptides and proteins.
(2) Marine microbial gene resources: including marine environmental microbial genes and marine microbial genes.
4. Marine natural product resources
Human beings have been studying marine natural products for decades, from which they have accumulated quite rich research data, providing sufficient scientific basis for the development of marine drugs, which is of great significance.
(1) Tens of thousands of marine natural products were screened by multi-target method, and new activities were found.
(2) Some marine natural products, such as structural modification or structural transformation, have been found.
(3) Using combinatorial chemistry or biosynthesis technology, more new compounds are derived, and new active components are screened out.
5. Marine Chinese medicine resources
Traditional Chinese medicine is one of the main representatives of traditional medicine in China, and marine Chinese medicine is an indispensable part of the traditional medicine treasure house in China, which is a summary of long-term folk experience in drug use. Modern clinical practice has proved that there are more than 1 10 kinds of marine drugs in herbal medicines of past dynasties, which are important resources for finding lead compounds and developing marine drugs. The development of new marine Chinese medicine has the advantages of strong pertinence, quick response and short cycle, and the development prospect is optimistic.
Biological value of marine drugs
At present, there are more than 1000 species of marine medicinal organisms, which belong to various categories of marine bacteria, fungi, plants and animals. They have good medicinal value for human body and other animals and plants.
Marine medicinal plants: At present, more than 0/00 species of marine medicinal plants/kloc-have been found, mainly distributed in Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta, Chrysophyta and Rhodophyta. The earliest pharmaceutical monograph in China, Shennong Materia Medica Classic, records that seaweed: "tastes bitter and cold, governs the gallbladder meridian, breaks the qi stagnation, and the carbuncle is swollen and firm." "Compendium of Materia Medica" records: "(Porphyra) is mainly used to treat heart heat and irritability, and people with phlegm accumulated in lumps should eat it regularly." The extract and preparation of kelp have the functions of relieving angina pectoris, relieving cough and asthma, and have good therapeutic effects on hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and arteriosclerosis.
Marine medicinal animals: There are more than 65,438+0,000 species of marine medicinal animals, including coelenterates, marine mollusks, marine arthropods, marine echinoderms, marine fishes, marine reptiles and marine mammals, covering almost all categories.
Medicinal coelenterates: There are dozens of known species, distributed in Hydra, Hydra and Coral. As pointed out in Compendium of Materia Medica, white skin (referring to jellyfish) is salty and astringent in taste, warm in nature, capable of resolving phlegm and resolving hard mass, stopping leukorrhagia and expelling wind, and is used for hypertension, female strain, leukorrhagia, wind-heat in children, tracheitis, asthma and gastric ulcer. Prostaglandin derivatives of gorgonian coral can be used for birth control, delivery, induced abortion, menstrual disease, gastric ulcer and asthma, and can also regulate blood pressure and metabolism.
Medicinal molluscs: There are hundreds of species in the world, and there are more than 130 species known in China, which are mostly distributed in hydra, bivalve, gastropod and cephalopod. For example, it is recorded in Huangdi Neijing, a classic work of traditional Chinese medicine, that black (that is, squid) bone is used as medicine, and abalone juice is used to treat blood dryness. Six species of marine medicinal mollusks, such as oyster near the river, are recorded in Shennong Herbal Classic. Mytilus edulis (commonly known as mussel) can tonify kidney, tonify kidney, lower blood pressure and resist arrhythmia. Pearl has many functions, such as calming nerves, nourishing yin, calming wind, clearing away heat and toxic materials, beauty beauty, and delaying aging.
Medicinal arthropods: The most concerned species are LEPIDOPTERA, mainly including shrimp, hermit crab and crab, as well as horseshoe crab of Arthropod. Such as hermit crab, has the effects of clearing away heat and promoting blood circulation, nourishing yin and tonifying kidney, strengthening yang and stomach, eliminating dampness and diuresis, removing blood stasis and detoxicating, promoting digestion and relieving pain, and inhibiting cholesterol, and contains certain anti-tumor components. Shrimp has the effects of tonifying kidney, strengthening yang, invigorating spleen, resolving phlegm, benefiting qi and promoting lactation, and can be used for treating impotence due to kidney deficiency, soreness of waist and knees, hemiplegia due to apoplexy, deficiency of qi and blood and postpartum galactorrhea. According to the Pharmacopoeia, horseshoe crab meat can cure hemorrhoids, insects, pinkeye and glaucoma. Horseshoe crab gall can cure wind, and horseshoe crab shell tail can cure cough, high fever and gynecological diseases. Now it has been widely used in clinical and pharmaceutical industries.
Medicinal echinoderms: There are dozens of known species, among which the most studied species are sea cucumber, sea urchin and starfish. For example, sea cucumber has the functions of harmonizing stomach, relieving pain, reducing swelling and expelling pus, and can be used to treat neurasthenia, dyspepsia, uterine prolapse, excessive leucorrhea, impotence, etc. Purple sea urchin has analgesic, heat-clearing and anti-inflammatory effects, and can be used for gastric and duodenal ulcer and paronychia. Starfish colloidal plasma made from Dow sun starfish and Roche starfish has a good therapeutic effect.
Medicinal fish: There are hundreds of known species, and there are more than 200 species in China, which are mainly distributed in three categories: circadian rhythm, cartilaginous fish and bony fish. For example, marine fish generally contain eicosapentaenoic acid, which has the function of preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases. Squalene in sharks has anti-cancer effect. Hippocampus and Syngnathus are well-known tonic Chinese medicines, which have the functions of tonifying kidney and strengthening yang, dispersing stagnation and relieving swelling, relaxing tendons and activating collaterals, stopping bleeding and relieving cough. They are mainly used to treat neurasthenia, dystocia of women, breast cancer, traumatic injury, asthma, tracheitis, impotence, furuncle swelling and pain, traumatic bleeding and so on. Guns and cannons have the functions of invigorating spleen and qi, promoting digestion and guiding stagnation, and have special effects on children's dyspepsia, malnutrition and anemia.
Medicinal reptiles: There are dozens of known species, including sea snakes and turtles. For example, tortoise shell is a valuable Chinese medicine, which has the functions of relieving convulsion, clearing away heat and toxic materials, and is suitable for treating fever, delirium and convulsion. Sea snakes have medicinal value. Sea snake meat can nourish and strengthen, sea snake gall has the effects of promoting qi circulation and resolving phlegm, clearing liver and improving eyesight, sea snake blood can replenish qi and blood and strengthen bones and muscles, sea snake oil is used to treat frostbite, scald and chapped skin, and sea snake wine has the effects of expelling wind, promoting blood circulation and relieving pain. Soft-shelled turtle has the effects of nourishing yin and suppressing yang, softening liver and tonifying kidney, clearing away fire, improving eyesight, expelling wind and removing dampness, relieving cough and resolving phlegm, and can be used for treating symptoms such as hyperactivity of yang due to yin deficiency, fever due to yin deficiency, rheumatism, joint pain and cough.
Medicinal Mammals: There are more than ten kinds of known medicinal mammals in China, mainly distributed in cetaceans and pinnipeds. For example, the fat, liver, pituitary gland, pancreas and ovary of real dolphins are all valuable medicinal materials, which can be used to extract anti-anemia agents, insulin, oxytocin, adrenocorticotropic hormone and so on. The male penis and testis of spotted seals are used as medicine (that is, seal kidney), which has the effects of tonifying kidney, strengthening yang, replenishing essence and marrow. Mainly used for impotence, nocturnal emission, cold sperm, cold pain in waist and knees or pain caused by strain of kidney essence. Medicinal fat (seal oil) has the functions of lubricating skin and detoxifying, and is used to treat chapped skin and frostbite. Liver and gallbladder have a good therapeutic effect on pleurisy.
The vast ocean is a treasure house of human resources to be developed, and it is also an attractive blue medicine storehouse. In the next century, the development of marine drugs will surely take a new step.