Analysis of Marine Samples in Search of Bioactive Compounds

Seas and oceans offer a wide range of temperature, pressure, light and chemical conditions thus allowing a wide diversity of marine organisms from shallow coastal waters to the deep ocean. These resources can be used to obtain new products and develop services, and in turn help to provide solutions to the challenges that affect our planet, including offering a sustainable supply of food and energy, new industrial materials and processes, new bioactive compounds, and new health treatments. Marine compounds have been identified as having antibacterial, anticoagulant, antifungal, antimalarial, antiprotozoal, antituberculosis, and antiviral activities. The major sources of these bioactive compounds are marine sponges, coelenterates, and microorganisms, followed by algae, echinoderms, tunicates, molluscs, and bryozoans.

The discovery of bioactive compounds from marine samples is a hot topic considering the current need for sustainable use of marine resources. This book is a comprehensive overview of the analytical techniques employed in the discovery and characterization of bioactive compounds isolated from (all possible) marine samples and gives future perspectives of analytical methodologies. This overview includes an assessment of the sampling and preparation of extracts, the separation and isolation of bioactive compounds, their structural characterization and the application of bioassays in the discovery of bioactive compounds.

Ch 1. Introduction to the analysis of bioactive compounds in marine samples, T.A.P. Rocha-Santos and A.C. Duarte Ch 2. Prospection, collection and preservation of marine samples, Sara Leston, Margarida Nunes, João Rosa, Marco F.L. Lemos, Fernando Ramos and Miguel A. Pardal Ch 3. Classical analytical methodologies for preparation of extracts and fractions, C.I.L. Justino, K. Duarte, A.C. Freitas, A.C. Duarte and T.A.P. Rocha-Santos Ch 4. Green analytical methodologies for preparation of extracts and analysis of bioactive compounds, K. Duarte, C.I.L. Justino, A.M. Gomes, T.A.P. Rocha-Santos  and A.C. Duarte Ch 5. Bioassays for bioactivity screening, Sofia Isabel G.H.M. Montalvão, Vineeta Singh, Shafiul Haque Ch 6. Vibrational spectroscopy for structural characterization of bioactive compounds, Keisham S. Singh,  Mahesh Majik and Supria Tilvi Ch 7. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for structural characterization of bioactive compounds, Clementina M. M. Santos and Artur M.S. Silva Ch 8. Mass spectrometry for determination of bioactive compounds, Supriya Tilvi, Mahesh S. Majik and Keisham S. Singh Ch 9. Chromatography coupled to various detectors as a tool for separation and determination of bioactive compounds, Regina M.B.O. Duarte and Armando C. Duarte Ch 10. On-line combination of bioassays with chemical and structural characterization for detection of bioactive compounds, Ana C. Freitas, Sofia Isabel G.H.M. Montalvão, Armando C. Duarte and Teresa Rocha-Santos