Bioorganic studies on marine natural products with bioactivity, such as antitumor activity and feeding attractance

This account describes bioorganic studies on marine natural products with bioactivity, such as antitumor activity and feeding attractance. Chemical studies on the following bioactive Compounds of marine origin have been carried out: 1) feeding attractants for the starfish Acanthaster planci, 2) potent toxins from shellfish of the genus Pinna that cause food poisoning, and 3) a variety of cytotoxic and antitumor compounds from marine invertebrates including sea hares, Dola-bella auricularia and Aplysia kurodai. Their isolation, structure elucidation, synthesis, and some aspects of their biological activities are summarized.