Horseshoe crabs in modern day biotechnological applications

Abstract

Horseshoe crabs are an important source of novel bioactive compounds. These species are the source of novel antimicrobial agents, peptides with impending pharmaceutical applications, nutritional supplements, biosensing probes, and other biotechnological implications. Many new bioactive molecules, including an antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic agent with therapeutic applications have been reported from these animals. Even if only a few products are presently on the industrial scale, a number of novel compounds are now under clinical trials and research. Despite the fact that horseshoe crabs offer an enormously lucrative source of novel bioactive compounds, they also face great challenges for their existence. This chapter highlights the advances in the exploitation of horseshoe crabs in modern day biotechnological applications, their survival and conservation.