Exploring the Antimicrobial Potential of Marine Bio Resources

Abstract

The diverse marine environment compared to terrestrial is a great treasure in discovering many new bioactive substances. By living in a competitive and hostile environment, marine organisms tend to survive and live within complex communities and also have close associations with others. Due to the ecological pressure such as predation, habitat competition, variation in tide, etc. as a response, the marine organisms produce composite secondary metabolites which are unique and abundant in marine sources that can be used as anti-microbial agents such as antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antiprotozoal agents. Since marine organisms produce a variety of compounds with antimicrobial activities they can be used in the production of pharmacological products to treat infections, diseases, etc. This chapter discusses the potential sources that are available in marine organisms that can act as therapeutic agents with antimicrobial activities. It also briefly explains different bioactive substances produced by different marine organisms that can be used in pharmaceutical industries.