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Biological Activity in Marine Invertebrates

Indonesia has rich marine biodiversity and potential for development. Abundant marine resources are not only a food source but can also be developed into medicinal ingredients.

Marine invertebrates are the marine organisms that produce the largest number of bioactive compounds compared to marine vertebrates. This is because marine invertebrates have more limited physical movement than marine vertebrates, resulting in a greater response to bioactive compound production.

Marine invertebrates with biological activity include sponges, ascidians, mollusks, and bryozoans. In the past decade, the world's attention in medicine has begun to turn to marine organisms as a potential source of these compounds. The need for new antibiotics is high, especially those that are effective in inhibiting resistant pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, information about active antibacterial compounds in the health sector is crucial in combating diseases caused by bacteria.

Infectious diseases are diseases caused by pathogenic microbes. They can be a major cause of human morbidity and mortality. In 2015, the Global Burden of Disease (GDBS) estimated that infectious diseases were among the top 10 causes of death worldwide. The increasingly rapid development of medicine has led to the exploration of various new drugs. The use of synthetic antibiotics can have side effects, necessitating the discovery of new antibiotics. The National Cancer Institute (Washington) has obtained screening data showing that several marine organisms possess biological activities such as antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-leukemic, anti-cancer, and other activities.

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