Search for Indonesian Marine Life as Medicinal Resource

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The sea will continue to play important roles for the future of the human being not only as the source of food and energy but also for the conservation of environment Other than these roles. the sea is also expected to provide biologically active substances, which have potential to be developed into new medicines. Owing to the deterioration of coastal environment caused by industrial and municipal effluents and also by sedimentation of red clay discharged from land development, existence of sessile marine organisms are endangered in the coasts of Japan. Similar situation is developing in Indonesia, especially along the coasts of Jakarta and other coastal cities. Considering these situations, it is important to initiate the study of Indonesian marine organisms as sources of lead compounds for new medicines before some of these species disappear from the coastal waters.The present research is carried out by the project in collaboration with Pusat Penelitian dan Pengembangan Oseanologi (R … More esearch and Development Center for Oceanology)-LIPI, Indonesia and Osaka University and University of the Ryukyus, Japan. The objectives of this proposal are to conduct a joint research on medicinal potential of Indonesian marine organisms and to promote scientific exchange between Indonesia and Japan in the disciplines encompassing marine biology, natural product chemisry, and biomedical science. The Indonesian waters' are known to be rich in diverse species of sessile organisms such as sponges and soft corals. However, their regional and biological distribution and biomedical potential arc scarcely understood. We, a group of scientists from both Indonesia and Japan, aim to conductj survey, collection, and chemical and pharmaceutical investigation of these organisms.The survey was proceeded at the coral reef of Spermonde Islands, Ujung Pandang, South Sulawesi, in August. 1997, and the coral reef of Lombok Island in August, 1998. Mainly sessile invertebrates such as sponges and tunicate were surveyed and collected by scuba diving. The extracts of collecting samples were subjected to the screening bioassays (e.g. antimicrobial activity, cytotoxic activity against cultured tumor cells (KB.LI210), reversal activity of multi-drug resistance in tumor cell (KV-C2, KB-CV6O, and KB-3-1 cell lines), and other biological activities. Less