ISSN: 2574-7797
Authors: Kartikay P*
More than 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered with marine water. World’s oldest, most revered and holiest texts, the Vedas, term the Ocean as ‘Ratnakar’, or the bestower of immense riches. Over the past decades, global warming, climate change has resulted in higher atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide. This excess carbon dioxide has been absorbed by our oceans resulting in ocean acidification. The ocean acidification has its adverse effect on marine flora and fauna, causing bleaching of coral reefs and extinction of several rare marine species, including marine invertebrates. These invertebrates are a source of precious bio-chemicals, which are synthesized and stored within their bodies as secondary metabolites. Most of these chemical compounds possess valuable cytotoxic properties. To extract these biometabolites, the organisms are carefully collected and preserved in a suitable solvent, till they reach the laboratory. Thereafter, they are subject successive extraction &/or, successive fractionation as per the protocol. Chosen fractions are purified further, using sophisticated techniques to isolate, characterize and identify pure chemical compounds. These compounds are then evaluated for their bioactivities, for discovering better drugs. This valuable biodiversity needs to be preserved for future generations.
Keywords: Marine Organisms; Filter-Feeding; Marine Invertebrates; Secondary Metabolites; Cytotoxic Compounds; Flora and Fauna; Global Warming; Climate Change; Ocean Acidification
