Iwona Arabas, Małgorzata Biniecka, Lidia Maria Czyż, Sylwia Tulik
Legendary medicinal raw materials of marine origin: history continues
2020-01-10
Legendary medicinal raw materials of marine origin: history continues
Some formerly used medicinal raw materials of marine origin have remained a legend, but contemporary research confirms the effect of many of them. Over the past half century there has been great progress in the exploration of the marine environment. Thousands of structurally unique, bioactive natural marine products have been isolated. For the first researchers the source of exotic raw materials were primarily cabinets of curiosities, and later specialized cabinets of natural history. The mythical horn of the unicorn, whose properties were transferred to land animals, including rhinos, came from the animal world. The byssus is equally legendary. For centuries its threads were used by fishermen to stitch torn tissues and as a hemostatic agent for wound care. Today, medicine uses hemostatic biomaterials with the composition and structure similar to that of byssus, and research has confirmed that byssus can be useful in creating new materials. Similar stories relate to corals (Anthozoa), common sponges (Porifera), abalone shells (Haliotis gigantea), edible oysters (Ostrea edulis) and mussels (Mytilus edulis), whose shells are made mainly of calcium salts, but also contain calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, iodine, iron, selenium, magnesium, fluorine and zinc. From the world of plants, taxonomically diverse algae are a very widespread marine raw material. They are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and natural dyes, easily digestible microelements, protein, fatty acids and vitamin B₁₂. They affect the positive lipid profile and they have immunomodulatory, antioxidant and anti-glycemic effect. Several substances from algae are at various stages of research studies that give hope for their use in the treatment of pain and various types of cancer. Despite the popularity of the abovementioned marine raw materials with proven medicinal properties, they have not reached the pharmacopoeia. The current Polish Pharmacopoeia XI contains only monographs of fucus (Fucus vel Ascophyllum) and 40% ointment Olei Iecoris Aselli Unguentum.
Keywords: exotic specimens, cabinets of natural history, algae, byssus, shells.
© Farm Pol, 2019, 75 (12): 692–697