Investigation of Indonesian Marine Organisms as Medicinal Resources

印度尼西亚由17,000多个岛屿组成，分布在赤道上，横跨两个大洋。众所周知，印度尼西亚水域有各种固着生物，如海绵和软珊瑚。然而，它们的区域和生物分布以及生物医学潜力却鲜为人知。我们是一组来自印度尼西亚和日本的科学家，他们的目标是对这些生物进行调查、收集以及化学和药物调查。由于工业和城市污水造成的海岸环境恶化，以及土地开发排放的红粘土的沉积，日本海岸固着海洋生物的生存受到威胁。这种情况并不局限于日本。类似的情况在印度尼西亚也在发展，特别是在雅加达沿海和其他沿海城市。问题不仅从环境保育的角度来看是严重的，考虑到这些情况，我们开始研究印尼海洋生物作为新药先导化合物的来源，在这些物种中的一些物种从沿海水域消失之前。本研究是由Pusat Penelitian Dan Pengembangan Oseanologi(海洋研究与发展中心)、印度尼西亚楠榜大学、Diponegoro大学以及日本大阪大学和琉球大学开展的一个合作项目。我们于2003年在苏门答腊岛的楠榜、2004年在爪哇岛的Carita和2005年在Biak岛进行了海洋无脊椎动物的调查，如下所示。1)通过潜水寻找海洋无脊椎动物的多样性和矫正性。2)海洋无脊椎动物生物活性成分的分离。我们已经分离出几种抗肿瘤活性成分(细胞周期抑制或抗血管生成)。3)从海洋沉积物中分离海洋微生物并研究其生物活性成分。

Indonesia consists of more than 17,000 islands distributed along the equator stretched over the two oceans. The Indonesian waters are known to have diverse species of sessile organisms such as sponges and soft corals. However, their regional and biological distribution and biomedical potential are scarcely understood. We, a group of scientists from both Indonesia and Japan, aim to conduct survey, collection, and chemical and pharmaceutical investigation of these organisms. 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. This situation is not confined only to Japan. Similar situation is developing in Indonesia, especially along the coasts of Jakarta and other coastal cities. The problem is serious not only from the viewpoint of environmental conservation.Considering these situations, we started 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 as a collaborative project of Pusat Penelitian dan Pengembangan Oseanologi (Research and Development Centre for Oceanology)-LIPI, Lampung University, Diponegoro University, Indonesia and Osaka University and University of the Ryukyus, Japan. We have proceeded survey of marine invertebrates at Lampung in Sumatra Island in 2003, Carita in Java Island in 2004, and Biak Island in 2005 as shown below. 1) Search for diversity and correction of marine invertebrates by SCUBA diving. 2) Isolation of bioactive constituents from those marine invertebrates. We have already isolated several anti-tumor active constituents (cell cycle inhibitor or anti-angiogenesis). 3) Separation of marine microorganism from marine sediment and investigation of bioactive constituents of those marine microorganisms.