International Journal of Marine Science, 2024, Vol.14, No.2, 94-101 http://www.aquapublisher.com/index.php/ijms 96 1.2 Definition of bioactive substances Bioactive substances refer to compounds or molecules that exhibit biological activity or effects, capable of interacting with biomolecules within living organisms, triggering physiological or biochemical responses. These substances can originate from various biological sources, including plants, animals, microorganisms, and marine organisms, and find extensive applications in fields such as medicine, agriculture, food industry, and environmental protection. The diversity and functionality of bioactive substances make them a key area for scientific research and industrial applications. Bioactive substances encompass a variety of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, immunomodulatory, antiviral, and more. They serve as active ingredients in pharmaceuticals, health supplements, cosmetics, and also find applications in ecological research, agricultural production, and environmental protection. The diversity of biological activities in these compounds stems from their structural and molecular characteristics, influencing biochemical pathways, metabolism, and signal transduction within organisms (Kandi et al., 2021). Bioactive substances are often discovered in the natural world but can also be produced through chemical synthesis or biotechnological methods. Natural bioactive substances are sourced from diverse biological entities such as herbs, aquatic plants, marine organisms, microorganisms, insects, and animal organs. These natural products often possess complex chemical structures, including polycyclic compounds, polyphenols, alkaloids, and plant secondary metabolites. They play crucial ecological roles in ecosystems, such as attracting pollinators, resisting pests, and defending against predators. Bioactive substances have significant applications in the field of medicine. Many commonly used drugs are derived from natural products or synthesized based on their prototypes, such as penicillin, aspirin, amoxicillin, etc., with widespread therapeutic applications. In the food industry, some bioactive substances serve as food additives, providing functions like antioxidant, antibacterial, and preservative properties. In agriculture, bioactive substances can be used for plant protection, fertilizer improvement, and growth regulation. From medicine to agriculture, food industry, and environmental protection, the diversity and functionality of bioactive substances make them an essential focus of biological research and industrial applications. 1.3 Discovery and isolation of marine bioactive substances The discovery and isolation of marine bioactive substances is a complex and challenging process, typically involving multiple stages such as collection, extraction, separation, identification, and bioactivity assessment. This process requires the integrated application of techniques from various fields, including biology, chemistry, biotechnology, and analytical chemistry, to discover and study marine bioactive substances with potential pharmaceutical value. The discovery of marine bioactive substances usually begins with the collection of samples. These samples may include seawater, marine organisms, and seafloor sediments obtained from different marine regions and depths. Careful documentation of sample source information, including collection location, depth, and season, is essential for subsequent research and sample traceability. Extraction is the next crucial step in discovering bioactive substances. The extraction process involves isolating the target compounds from collected biological samples. This can be achieved through various extraction methods, such as solvent extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, etc. The choice of extraction method often depends on the nature of the target compounds and the type of samples. Separation is the subsequent step used to isolate complex extracts into individual purified compounds. This is typically accomplished through chromatographic techniques, which can separate compounds from a mixture based on their characteristics such as polarity, molecular size, molecular mass, etc. After separation, researchers obtain relatively pure target compounds. Identification is the process of determining the structure and properties of the isolated compounds. This usually involves using a series of analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry (coupled with chromatography techniques), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible
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