Bioactive Alkaloids of Marine Origin

The marine organisms, mainly invertebrates such as sponges and ascidians, are a rich source of varied natural alkaloids with unique chemical scaffolds and diverse bioactivities. From a medicinal chemistry perspective, the marine alkaloids' fascinating structures as well as their broad spectrum of pharmacological activity make them promising lead compounds for various druggable targets. The recent results in the field of marine alkaloids are thus here described. The structures and biological activities of selected typical classes of marine alkaloids are briefly illustrated, with the emphasis on the role of these natural products as leads for drug discovery.