Meroterpenoids from marine microorganisms: Potential Scaffolds for new chemotherapy leads

Abstract

Meroterpenoids, including several biologically active metabolites from marine microorganisms mainly fungi and actinomycete bacteria, represent promising structural scaffolds with not only diverse biological activities such as antimicrotubule, cytotoxic and antiproliferative but also different mechanisms of action. In this chapter, an overview on structural diversity and anticancer activity of mixed biogenesis terpenoid derivatives (meroterpenoids) from marine microorganisms is presented with highlight on individual examples of the most promising candidates in cancer chemotherapy and prevention.