Marine sponges are among the richest sources of bioactive compounds, boasting a wide variety of secondary metabolites with promising potential for use in cosmeceutical products. There are 71 compounds, including alkaloids, terpenoids, peptides, sterols, and fatty acids, with a range of biological activities beneficial for skin health and beauty care. With the growing trend toward incorporating marine-derived bioactive ingredients, cosmetic formulations increasingly focus on natural compounds that have demonstrated positive effects on skin appearance and wellness. This review explores the potential of marine sponges as a valuable source of these bioactive compounds, highlights recent discoveries and their mechanisms of action, and discusses the current challenges and prospects for developing marine sponge-derived ingredients into effective cosmetic products.

Considering the wide range of applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, and biomedical research industries, developing protein sources that are nutritious, easy to cultivate, and environmentally friendly, like microalgae Porphyridium cruentum is crucial to realising the rising demand. This study aims to explore the potential aspects of hydroxyapatite/lignocellulose using phycobiliproteins (PBPs) from red algae that have been purified and determine the material characteristics such as crystallinity, structure-function relation, morphology, elemental composition, and purification ability that have been addressed. The HAp/lignocellulose was successfully synthesized using the precipitation method. X-ray diffraction results show that the highest diffraction peak of HAp is at an angle of 33.0° with a lattice plane (211). The characterization results showed that the size of HAp was 16.5 nm, and that of the HAp/lignocellulose composite was 34.9 nm. Fourier transform infrared analysis showed the presence of the Ca-O functional group, confirming the formation of HAp/lignocellulose. The UV-visible spectra showed absorption peaks at 220, 254, and 360 nm. Then, the purity value obtained from PBP crude extract reached 4.00 with a yield of 60%. Therefore, HAp/lignocellulose materials can be relied upon to purify PBPs and have high selectivity capabilities such as bioactivities against cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and antioxidants for future studies.

The emergence of resistance in pathogenic bacteria to synthetic antibiotics is a critical global issue. This study aims to isolate antibacterial compounds from endophytic fungi and characterize the secondary metabolites from the white turi plant ( Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers.) as a novel source of natural antimicrobial agents to combat the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. The research involved isolating fungi, testing bioactivity, and purifying and characterizing bioactive compounds. Nine endophytic fungal isolates were obtained from the plant’s stem, seed, leave, and flower tissues. The isolate with the strongest antibacterial activity (Code: Bt-12), was derived from the stem tissue, showing 48.49 % inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and 42.06 % against Pseudomonas aeruginosa using the microdilution method. Purification using vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC) identified the NV42 fraction as having the most significant antibacterial effect, with inhibition zone of approximately 12.5 mm for S. aureus and 8 mm for P. aeruginosa using the disc diffusion method. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) characterization identified the highest peaks from three selected fractions at retention times of 7.65, 15.27, and 7.69, with corresponding molecular formulas of C 23 H 31 N 2 O 2 , C 38 H 74 NO 14 , and C 23 H 31 N 2 O 2 , respectively and were classified as alkaloid secondary metabolites. This research successfully identified the predicted bioactive compounds that inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, providing valuable insights into potential antibacterial agents derived from endophytic fungi in turi plants.

More than 70% of the earth's oceans are known to cover the surface of the earth. High biodiversity makes the ocean a habitat for microorganisms such as tunicates. Tunicates can associate with other microorganisms such as Pseudonocardia carboxydivorans so that they can produce bioactive compounds including antibiotics, pesticides and antitumors. The initial stage to identify a bioactive compound is by isolating DNA. This study aims to determine the optimization of bacterial DNA extraction using promega and qiagen extraction kits. This study consists of 3 treatments, namely rejuvenation, bacterial identification and concentration measurement. The results showed that the optimization of using qiagen extraction kit was relatively superior at 1,989 ng/µl - 2,000 ng/µl with 1 hour. While in the optimization of promega extraction, the resulting purity is 1,500 ng/µl - 1,943 ng/µl with a processing time of 2 hours.

Endophytic fungi originating from mangroves are potential sources of secondary metabolites with varying bioactivities. This research explores the bioactive metabolites produced by endophytes derived from mangrove plants. Endophytic fungi were collected from various parts of several mangrove plants (roots, stems, and leaves, as well as the surrounding mud). A total of 17 endophytics fungi were obtained. The isolates were derived from the leaves (1 isolate), stems (8 isolates), roots (5 isolates), and surrounding mud (3 isolates). A single fungal colony was cultured using solid-state fermentation for 14 days. The fermented fungal biomass was extracted using ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and evaluated for its antibacterial activity against clinical pathogenic bacteria. In the preliminary screening, the EtOAc extract of the CB07RF1 isolate exhibited notable growth-inhibitory effects against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The isolate was verified by molecular identification using a study of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence, revealed that isolate CB07RF1 was very similar to Fusarium equiseti (99% similarity). Isolate 20CB07RF1, obtained by solid-state fermentation using a rice medium indicated as peptide compound group, and featured active components that exhibited potent growth inhibitory activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa at a concentration of 12.5 mg/mL. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that Fusarium equiseti extracts grown in a rice medium contain antimicrobial compounds that can inhibit the growth of P. aeruginosa, an important clinical pathogen known for its antibacterial resistance. These findings accent mangrove endophytic fungi as important sources of bioactive compounds and will advance related research in the fields of biotechnology, pharmacology, and life sciences.

This study aimed to assess glucosamine production through enzymatic activity, utilizing actinomycetes sourced from shrimp shell waste (SSW) in a solid-state fermentation (SSF) process. A total of 16 actinomycetes underwent chitinase activity screening, and the strain exhibiting the highest chitinolytic index was chosen for subsequent morphological and phylogenetic analyses. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was employed to analyze glucosamine produced from the bioconversion of SSW via SSF. Optimal conditions for glucosamine production were determined by varying time, pH, and temperature. Isolate 18D36-A2 showed the highest chitinolytic index of 1.02 in the 32-mm clean zone. Phylogenetic analysis revealed 97% similarity to the genus Micrococcus, identifying it as a novel Micrococcus unila strain 18D36-A2 and deposited in GenBank. This isolate effectively converted shrimp shells. The findings showcase the bioconversion of SSW to glucosamine through SSF using the Micrococcus unila 18D36-A2. Furthermore, this study establishes a foundation for future research on environmentally friendly and sustainable designs for glucosamine production.

The fungal genus Trichoderma is a rich source of structurally diverse secondary metabolites with remarkable pharmaceutical properties. The chemical constituents and anticancer activities of the marine-derived fungus Trichoderma lixii have never been investigated. In this study, a bioactivity-guided investigation led to the isolation of eleven compounds, including trichodermamide A (1), trichodermamide B (2), aspergillazine A (3), DC1149B (4), ergosterol peroxide (5), cerebrosides D/C (6/7), 5-hydroxy-2,3-dimethyl-7-methoxychromone (8), nafuredin A (9), and harzianumols E/F (10/11). Their structures were identified by using various spectroscopic techniques and compared to those in the literature. Notably, compounds 2 and 5–11 were reported for the first time from this species. Evaluation of the anticancer activities of all isolated compounds was carried out. Compounds 2, 4, and 9 were the most active antiproliferative compounds against three cancer cell lines (human myeloma KMS-11, colorectal HT-29, and pancreas PANC-1). Intriguingly, compound 4 exhibited anti-austerity activity with an IC50 of 22.43 μM against PANC-1 cancer cells under glucose starvation conditions, while compound 2 did not.

Fucoxanthin is an anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory bioactive compound. Unfortunately, the conjugated double bonds of the fucoxanthin structure make it unstable, posing issues for product development, particularly with regard to shelf life. This research study aims to synthesize nano chitosan–pectin and encapsulate isolated fucoxanthin by nano chitosan–pectin using an ionic gelation method. Fucoxanthin was obtained through isolation of microalgae species Cyclotella striata. The best result of nanoparticle size using a particle size analyzer was chitosan:pectin 1 : 2 of 172 nm. Fourier transform infrared analysis showed that there was an interaction between chitosan–pectin and fucoxanthin, which was characterized by a shift in the C O absorption fucoxanthin from 1736 to 1632 cm-1. The result of morphological analysis of nano chitosan–pectin–fucoxanthin using a scanning electron microscopeshows a spherical morphology with a size between 140 and 265 nm. The result of encapsulation efficiency was 75.18%, whereas encapsulation stability increased fucoxanthin oxidation half-life 4.7 times longer than that of unencapsulated fucoxanthin. The nano chitosan pectin could be utilized as a matrix conjugate to increase the stability of fucoxanthin significantly by encapsulation. This information is expected to be useful in developing encapsulation applications for unstable compounds.

A merosteroid with a flexible side chain named varicosenone (1a) was isolated from the sea slug Phyllidia varicosa collected from Banten, Jakarta, and South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The structure of 1a was elucidated using 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS) as well as density functional theory (DFT)--based NMR calculations. The relative configuration for the rigid portion (cyclic portion) was evidenced by nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) correlation, while the two-chiral centres on the flexible side chain were assessed by statistical comparison (including mean and max absolute, RMS error, and DP4 score) of experimental 13C chemical shifts with the results of the Boltzmann-weighted 13C chemical shifts calculated for each of the four potential stereoisomers. The result suggested a preference for two of the four possible stereoisomers (18R*, 21S*) and (18S*, 21S*). A similar analysis, accounting for the full set of 13C chemical shifts for the system, and only 1H shifts for the flexible side chain of DP4 for 13C and 1H chemical shifts of the portion favour (18R*, 21S*) stereoisomer. Therefore, 1a may have a relative configuration as 8S*, 9S*, 10R*, 13R*, 14S*, 17R*, 18R*, 21S*.

The sponge is one of the potential sources of bioactive compounds. Among them, the sponge Aaptos has been a promising discovery of leading drugs including aaptamine (1). This study investigated the aaptamine (1), spectroscopically determined, from Aaptos sp. collected from Bunaken National Park, Indonesia, as an anticancer agent, specifically targeting colorectal cancers (CRCs). Compound 1 showed potent cytotoxicity against DLD-1 and Caco-2 with IC50 values of 30.3 and 236.8 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, the exposure of compound 1 on those colorectal cancer cells could promote cell cycle arrest and relatively induce necrotic cell death.

Mangrove endophytic fungi can produce bioactive substances with diverse biological functions. This study aims to evaluate the chemical profile of mangrove fungal endophytic extracts that inhibit clinical pathogenic bacteria resistant to various antibiotics. The fungi were collected from Petengoran mangrove forest, Lampung Province. Fungal isolates were grown on shrimp shell media using solid-state fermentation for 14 days. The fungal biomass was extracted using ethyl acetate, and the active components were evaluated using thin layer chromatography. The extract was partitioned with dichloromethane/water and its bioactivity was tested using TLC-bioautography and agar diffusion methods. The active fraction was identified using LC-MS/MS. The LC-MS/MS data was interpreted with SIRIUS 5.8.6, and the drug-likeness and toxicological characteristics were assessed using ADME/Tox and STopTox machine learning tools. Morphological analysis showed that isolate 22PLP1F1 was an Aspergillus sp., with spherical conidia at the hyphae tips. Through phylogenetic analysis it was confirmed that isolate 22PLP1F1 is Aspergillus sydowii with similarity 98.9%. Initial TLC examination indicated the production of alkaloids, polypeptides, and steroids. Antibacterial assays showed that the polar portion inhibited multi-drug resistance (MDR) Staphylococcus aureus, while the active fraction at 2 mg/mL inhibited MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed a major chromatogram peak at a retention time of 8.67; m/z 488.2196, suggesting a novel derivative of a compound at a retention time of 7.82; m/z 446.208. ADME/Tox analysis indicated that the compounds do not penetrate the BBB but remain in the GI absorption region. Further research is needed to elucidate the active compounds’ mechanism of action and conduct bioengineering studies.

Ammonia levels exceeding 0.50 mg/L can threaten organisms in aquatic environments. The Nessler method is one of the ammonia analysis methods based on the reaction between ammonia in a basic solution and Nessler reagent (K2HgI4), forming a colloidal dispersion with a brownish-yellow colour. The colour intensity is determined by spectrophotometry. This research aims to verify the Nessler method for determining ammonia levels in shrimp pond wastewater. The research results indicate that the Nessler method shows good linearity in the range of ammonia concentrations from 1 to 5 mg/L, with a correlation coefficient (R2) value of 0.9962. The precision value was determined from repeatability, expressed as %RSD (Relative Standard Deviation), i.e., 1.92%, and it meets acceptance criteria, which should be less than 0.5 of the Horwitz RSD. The accuracy obtained from the standard addition method provides a percentage recovery value of 99.25%, meeting the AOAC acceptance criteria. The detection limit and quantification limit of the technique are 0.3883 mg/L and 1.2943 mg/L, respectively. The verified method is then applied to analyze shrimp pond wastewater samples from Sriminosari Village, East Lampung, resulting in an ammonia concentration of 1.52 mg/L. The ammonia levels were then reduced by adsorption with natural zeolite Lampung, decreasing ammonia levels by 20.30%. Meanwhile, adsorption with an activated zeolite reduced the ammonia levels by 45.30%.