Marine Demospongiae: A Challenging Treasure of Bioactive Compounds

In the last decades, it has been demonstrated that marine organisms are a substantial source of bioactive compounds with possible biotechnological applications. Marine sponges, in particular those belonging to the class of Demospongiae, have been considered among the most interesting invertebrates for their biotechnological potential. In this review, particular attention is devoted to natural compounds/extracts isolated from Demospongiae and their associated microorganisms with important biological activities for pharmacological applications such as antiviral, anticancer, antifouling, antimicrobial, antiplasmodial, antifungal and antioxidant. The data here presented show that this class of sponges is an exciting source of compounds, which are worth developing into new drugs, such as avarol, a hydroquinone isolated from the marine sponge Disidea avara, which is used as an antitumor, antimicrobial and antiviral drug.

Automated summary

Marine organisms, especially marine sponges belonging to the class of Demospongiae, have shown great potential as a source of bioactive compounds with various pharmacological activities, such as antiviral, anticancer, antifouling, antimicrobial, antiplasmodial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. Compounds isolated from these sponges, like avarol from the marine sponge Disidea avara, have the potential to be developed into new drugs.