Marine Drugs and Natural Products

Biography

Biography: Preetham Elumalai

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases gained attention as the second most common cause of death among the aged population. Marine environment has proven to be one of the richest sources of chemical structures with numerous beneficial health effects. Recent research has investigated the bio-potential of natural and synthetic neuroprotective agents applied in the amelioration of dementia. Given the increasing prevalence of different forms of dementia, we are in focus for the discovery and development of novel neutraceuticals from marine sources for potential application in neuroprotection. Our project is to search, identify and characterise marine natural products that exert potent biological activities against neurodegenerative diseases. We want to apply our bio-prospecting platform using a multiple screening strategy based on an automated system, and search for producers of small molecules, active as neurotrophic agents. The present study aims to treat dementia using small molecule correctors and inhibitors to cure the disease and to investigate its exerting neuroprotective effects through different pathways could present viable approaches in the management of neurodegenerative diseases. Understanding the mechanism for correcting the folding after treatment is also investigated. We are interested to assess the diversity and distribution of commercially important Lichens of the Kerala coast. Our selection included compounds with very different core structures such as terpenes, alkaloids or heterocyclic structures, poly-phenols and so on. We try to perform the synthesis of the aforementioned and their selected analogues. The compounds will be evaluated for neuritogenic activity in developing hippocampal neurons and for promising neurite-outgrowth-promoting activity. Dose-dependent studies will show neurons protection from naturally occurring death in normal culture condition as a proof to demonstrate that Lichens can promote neuronal maturation and synaptogenesis and support neuronal survival. Their functional studies and neurotrophic activity like antioxidant, anti-neuroinflammatory, cholinesterase inhibitory activity and inhibition of neuronal death is screened against neuro A2 cells, glial cultures as well as in human brain tissue specimens to gain information regarding structure, activity and molecular interactions which will be used to design more potent derivatives. Specific compounds obtained from several nutrients have displayed beneficial roles in preserving and protecting neurons from degeneration and can have potential therapeutic efficacy in dementia. Taken together, these results from molecular, cellular and pharmacological studies would accelerate further studies with these compounds in larger preclinical and clinical settings.