Exploring marine medicinal resources from new discoveries in the South Central Coastal Waters of Vietnam
Over the years, research on bioactive compounds from marine medicinal resources has become a key field with exceptional growth potential. Among six regions in Vietnam identified for potential marine medicinal research, projects have been implemented in two key areas—the Northeastern and Central coastal waters—to explore and document the rich biodiversity of marine organisms. During the period 2013–2015, the project "Research on the Potential of Marine Medicinal Resources in Northeastern Vietnam" and from 2016–2018, the project "Research on the Potential of Marine Medicinal Resources in the Central Coastal Waters" yielded significant scientific results regarding bioactive compounds from sponges, echinoderms, soft corals, mollusks, marine microorganisms, and microalgae. These compounds, with unique and rare chemical structures, exhibited remarkable biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-tuberculosis, and cytotoxic effects on cancer cells.
With over 100 research studies published both nationally and internationally—particularly in international SCIE-indexed journals—Vietnamese marine research has contributed to elevating the country's marine science to an international level. These findings create opportunities to develop marine-derived medicinal products for treating severe conditions such as osteoporosis, cancer, and inflammatory diseases. Therefore, further research and exploration of marine medicinal resources remain an urgent task, aiming to foster the pharmaceutical industry, protect public health, and support the sustainable development of Vietnam’s marine economy.
Research on marine edicinal resources in the Khanh Hoa – Binh Thuan coastal region
To further explore marine medicinal potential in the South Central coastal waters, Assc. Prof. Dr. Pham Van Cuong from the Institute of Marine Biochemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, led the project "Research on the Potential of Marine Medicinal Resources in the South Central Coastal Waters (Khanh Hoa – Binh Thuan region), Vietnam" (Project Code: TĐDLB0.00/20-22). The project aimed to study bioactive compounds from marine medicinal resources in this area and assess their applicability in public healthcare.
Major achievements of the project
The project yielded several significant discoveries in the chemistry and biological activities of marine organisms in the South Central coastal waters. These results were categorized into six key components, each achieving substantial milestones.
Of which, Component 1 on "Research on the exploitation of medicinal sponges in the South Central Coast region (Khanh Hoa - Binh Thuan waters) with a focus on cancer cell cytotoxic activity to develop products supporting cancer treatment" is a study on the chemical composition and cancer cell cytotoxicity of 10 sponge species inhabiting the Khanh Hoa - Binh Thuan waters. Research was conducted on 10 sponge species, including Aaptos aaptos, Amorphinopsis fenestrata, Clathria (Thalysias) reinwardti, Halichondria panicea, Haliclona (Gellius) cymaeformis, Haliclona (Halichoclona) vansoesti, Hippospongia fistulosa, Ianthella basta, Rhabdastrella globostellata, and Xestospongea testudinaria. Scientists isolated and identified 84 compounds from these sponges, of which 23 had newly discovered chemical structures (accounting for 27% of the identified compounds). Notably, five compounds contained four previously unrecorded carbon skeletons, highlighting the unique chemical composition of Vietnamese marine sponges. The absolute configurations of some compounds were successfully determined using advanced spectral analysis techniques such as ECD, experimental NMR, and computational modeling with Gaussian16 and Spartan18 software. The findings were published in 13 international scientific papers (including eight SCIE-indexed and five SCOPUS-indexed articles), along with a patent and the successful training of a Ph.D. candidate.
Compounds discovered from sponges with new carbon skeletons
Component 2 focuses on “Research on the extraction of secondary metabolites from coral and echinoderm medicinal resources in the South Central Coast region (Khanh Hoa - Binh Thuan waters) with an emphasis on cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities”. Researchers collected 30 coral and echinoderm samples from Van Phong Bay (Khanh Hoa), Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan, selecting seven species for chemical analysis, including one feather star, one sea cucumber, one starfish, and four soft coral species. This research marked the first study on the chemical composition and biological activities of Comanthus delicata (a species of feather star). A total of 72 compounds were isolated and structurally identified, with 27 newly discovered compounds, including 10 from feather stars, three from sea cucumbers, one from starfish, and 13 from soft corals. Among them, some triterpene saponins exhibited strong cytotoxicity against five tested cancer cell lines, while certain naphthopyrone compounds showed selective cytotoxicity against SK-Mel-2 melanoma cells. Notable compounds included CD7, which induced cancer cell apoptosis via caspase-3 activation, and LOP7, which exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting IL-6, TNF-α, COX-2, and iNOS. These findings were published in seven SCIE-indexed international journals.
Some studied coral and echinoderm species
Building on the success of compounds from crinoids, corals, and echinoderms, the focus of Component 3 is “Research on the discovery of anti-tuberculosis and antimicrobial compounds from benthic microorganisms in the South Central Coastal region (Khanh Hoa - Binh Thuan waters).” During the study, the research team isolated 186 microbial strains (including 136 actinomycete strains and 50 fungal strains) from the South Central Coastal region. Screening results showed that 165 of these strains exhibited antimicrobial activity against at least one to six tested microbial strains, with 58 strains showing activity against three or more microbial strains and 24 strains exhibiting anti-tuberculosis activity. Researchers identified and mass-cultured 15 microbial strains, isolating and characterizing 156 pure compounds (95 unique compounds), including five newly discovered ones (G666-1, G666-2, G666-3, G631-2, and M893-1.37) with antimicrobial activity, and one compound with anti-tuberculosis potential. These results demonstrated the vast potential of marine microbial resources for biomedical applications, contributing to expanding opportunities for the exploitation of marine resources to develop important applications in medicine and daily life.
Colony morphology of some actinomycete strains on A1 medium
Towards exploring the lipid composition of various marine organisms, Component 4 of the project, titled: "Study on the composition, content of lipids, fatty acids, and their derivatives from selected marine organisms in the South Central region (waters of Khanh Hoa - Binh Thuan)," has investigated lipids and developed applied products from marine resources. A key achievement of this research is the establishment of a lipid database for 125 marine organism samples from the South Central region. Another success is the development of the production process for the Hai Ma Dan product from black seahorse raw materials, contributing to health protection. Additionally, the research team has optimized the process for preparing a phospholipid-based DHA mixture from marine organisms, unlocking potential applications in nutritional and health supplements.
Hai Ma Dan functional food product
Component 5: "Study on secondary metabolites with biological activities from selected marine mollusks in the South Central Region (waters of Khanh Hoa - Binh Thuan), Vietnam", has conducted in-depth research on marine mollusks. Researchers discovered 18 new compounds from five mollusk samples collected in Vietnam’s coastal waters. These compounds were determined for their absolute configuration by combining quantum chemical theoretical calculations (GIAO NMR, TDDFT ECD) and experimental spectroscopic analyses (HRESIMS, NMR, ECD, X-ray). The research team successfully isolated the compounds tumiduspyrone A and tumiduspyrone B from the sea slug Paromoionchis tumidus, which feature rare C17 and C18 carbon skeletons in nature. Additionally, the compound dactylomelanin E from the sea slug Aplysia dactylomela is one of the few sesquiterpenes with an unusual bisabolane skeleton. Compounds such as PV24 and PV25 not only exhibited significant cytotoxic activity (IC50 < 10 μM) but were also proven to induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) in prostate cancer and lung cancer cell lines.
Structure of tumiduspyrone A determined by X-ray and ECD spectroscopy
Component 6: “Study on secondary metabolites with biological activities from selected marine microalgae in the South Central Region (Khanh Hoa – Binh Thuan, Vietnam)”, was conducted with the goal of exploring bioactive compounds from marine microalgae. During the research, scientists isolated and determined the structure of 71 compounds from six marine microalgal strains, including two new compounds. Among the isolated compounds, 21 exhibited at least one biological activity, including antimicrobial activity, cytotoxicity, lipid-lowering effects, and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition. Notably, the discovery of two compounds, (24R)-4α-methylstigmasta-7,22-dien-3β-ol (AME1) from Aurantiochytrium mangrovei BT3 and cycloartenol (TSH3.1) from Thraustochytrium striatum BT12, demonstrated intracellular lipid-lowering effects on the HepG2 cell model without causing cytotoxicity. The in vitro mechanism of these two compounds in reducing intracellular lipid levels was also clarified. Therefore, these compounds hold great potential for treating lipid metabolism disorders, especially in the development of health-protective foods for hyperlipidemia prevention and treatment. The research findings of this component open significant prospects for the exploitation of marine microalgae resources and their applications in the pharmaceutical and medical fields.
Photo of cultivation of Thraustochytrium striatum BT12
The outstanding results of the project in exploring and developing the potential of marine medicinal resources in Vietnam’s South Central Region have enriched the scientific database and opened multiple important applications in medicine, pharmaceuticals, and related industries. Scientists have published 29 international SCIE journal articles and 19 national journal articles. Additionally, the project has been granted one exclusive patent by the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam, and three more patent applications have been accepted as valid. Furthermore, the research team has developed functional food products, producing 21,000 capsules of Hai Ma Dan, while continuing to explore bioactive compounds from marine mollusks and microalgae. The team also conducted chemical structure analyses and evaluated biological activities such as antimicrobial properties, cancer cell cytotoxicity, and antioxidant effects, contributing to the training of seven Ph.D. researchers during the project.
The project’s results not only drive the development of marine biochemical research but also lay the groundwork for the sustainable exploitation of marine biological resources in Vietnam, establishing a strong foundation for the future of the marine medicinal sector. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Van Cuong, to fully utilize these valuable resources, further research is required on new bioactive compounds from marine organisms, including sponges, corals, marine microbes, lipids, microalgae, and mollusks, particularly those with anticancer and antimicrobial properties. Expanding research to other marine regions will contribute to discovering more valuable resources. Enhancing international collaboration and applying research results in industry and medicine is the key to promoting the sustainable development of Vietnam’s marine medicinal sector.
Translated by Phuong Huyen
Link to Vietnamese version
