Natural Cosmetic ingredients from the sea

keywords- natural cosmetics, marine cosmetics

 

Natural Cosmetics from the sea- Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae

The Caribbean sea whip, also called  Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae (Octocorallia, Cnidaria) contains pseudopterosins, a class of natural products chemically characterized as diterpene-pentoseglycosides. The pseudopterosins possess anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, more than any existing drug, including  indomethacin. As anti-inflammatory agents, the pseudopterosins seem to amend  the arachidonic acid cascade by some unknown mechanism. The compounds from this soft coral speed up the healing process of human skin. They are now being used in skincare cosmetics. 

Didemnin B, diazonomide A, dolastatin 10, and discodermolide are some of the anti-cancer compounds, derived from coral reef marine organisms. Another anti-cancer compound, Bryostatin 1, is derived from a particular population of bryozoan Bugula neritina, which is a plant like organism. Blue-green algae Lyngbya majuscula produces Curacin A, which is anti-proliferative, thus helpful to fight cancer. Marine organisms also produce anti-bacterial and anti-viral chemical compounds.

Curacin A is produced by the blue-green algae Lyngbya majuscula, and functions as an anti-proliferative. It inhibits cell division, the mechanism by which cancer grows and spreads. In addition to anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory compounds, marine organisms also produce chemical compounds with anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties.

Coral reefs also supply the structural compounds necessary to repair human bone. Bone graft material is manufactured by converting the calcium carbonate endoskeleton of coral into calcium phosphate, or coralline hydroxyapatite, which is similar to the human bone, in physical and chemical structure.

Coral reefs, are said to be the rainforests of the sea. They offer an array of both, chemical and biological diversities. According to William Fenical, a natural products chemist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, "marine sources could be the major source of new drugs for the next decade."

Coral reefs are diverse as well as sensitive eco-systems in the oceans. They are one of the oldest eco- systems on earth. Thousands of plant and animal species are supported by Coral reefs. They also provide food, protect coastlines and form the basis of local economies in communities near the sea. Anthropogenic effects in along with natural events have led to the decline in reef health. As much as 70% of the world’s coral reefs may be lost by 2050.

We, as a human race, need to take measures to reverse this process.