Bioactivity in Echinoderms

Abstract

Man in his pursuit for knowledge of newer and better drugs for eradicating diseases to which he is prone to has turned to the sea, which is a more potential treasure house of drugs due to its vast and diverse range of marine life. Many marine organisms exhibit toxicity as well as bioactivity. Some are toxic and lethal to terrestrial animals as well as to the man. The Phylum Echinodermata consists of sea cucumbers (holothurians), star lishes and sea urchins. These are known for their toxicity. This report deals with the results of the screening of 10 species of echinoderms collected from Gulf of Mannar area for biotoxicity to fishes and mice and also for hemolytic activity. The results showed that all the parts of Holothuria atra H. spinifera and Behadschia marmorata exhibited a high degree of toxicity to fish fingerlings and mice and also destructive action on erythrocyte cells.