Seaweeds, including macroscopic red, green, and brown algae, are a valuable source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in human health. Ruglulopteryx okamurae (initially described as Dilophus okamurae) is a brown algae native to the northwestern Pacific, where it is found along the coasts of China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, and Taiwan. In recent years, this species has spread rapidly in non-native regions, leading to significant ecological and economic impacts due to the accumulation of large amounts of stranded biomass. Therefore, R. okamurae represents an underexplored source of metabolites of potential biotechnological value.
Species from this genus are known to produce a variety of cyclic diterpenoids characterized by diverse carbon skeletons, many of them display biomedical properties like antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects. In this study, specimens of Rugulopteryx okamurae (Dictyotaceae) were collected on the southern coast of Tenerife to examine their potential as a source of novel anti-proliferative and antiparasitic compounds. Isolated metabolites were evaluated on six cancer cell lines and against two free-living amoebae and three kinetoplastid parasites to identify new therapeutic applications.
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