Marine ecosystems are a rich, underexplored reservoir of bioactive compounds with growing importance in drug discovery and development. For B.Pharm students, understanding marine sources of drugs — including sponges, tunicates, algae, cyanobacteria, marine bacteria and fungi — is essential for pharmacognosy and marine pharmacology. Marine-derived compounds (alkaloids, peptides, polyketides, terpenes) have yielded anticancer agents, analgesics, antivirals and antibiotics such as cytarabine, trabectedin, ziconotide and salinosporamide. Key themes include isolation techniques, fermentation, mariculture, structural complexity, and sustainable supply. This topic links marine biotechnology, natural product chemistry and clinical pharmacology for future pharmacists. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. Which marine organism group is the most prolific source of structurally novel anticancer metabolites?
- Sponges (Porifera)
- Tunicates (Ascidians)
- Marine algae
- Marine fungi
Correct Answer: Sponges (Porifera)
Q2. Cytarabine (Ara-C), an antimetabolite used in leukemia, was originally derived from which marine source?
- Marine cyanobacteria
- Sponge Tethya crypta
- Tunicate Ecteinascidia
- Marine actinomycete Salinispora
Correct Answer: Sponge Tethya crypta
Q3. Trabectedin (ET-743), used in soft-tissue sarcoma, was isolated from which marine organism?
- Bryozoan Bugula neritina
- Cone snail Conus magus
- Tunicate Ecteinascidia turbinata
- Marine sponge Halichondria
Correct Answer: Tunicate Ecteinascidia turbinata
Q4. Ziconotide, a potent analgesic acting on N-type calcium channels, is derived from which marine animal?
- Cone snail (Conus magus)
- Sea cucumber
- Marine sponge
- Tunicate
Correct Answer: Cone snail (Conus magus)
Q5. Which class of marine natural products commonly includes peptides with potent ion-channel or receptor activity?
- Polyketides
- Alkaloids
- Nonribosomal peptides (including conotoxins)
- Terpenes
Correct Answer: Nonribosomal peptides (including conotoxins)
Q6. Which marine-derived compound is a proteasome inhibitor from the actinomycete Salinispora?
- Manoalide
- Salinosporamide A (marizomib)
- Halichondrin B
- Bryostatin
Correct Answer: Salinosporamide A (marizomib)
Q7. Bryostatin, studied for anticancer and neuroprotective effects, is isolated from which marine source?
- Sponge species
- Bryozoan Bugula neritina
- Seaweed (macroalgae)
- Marine fungus
Correct Answer: Bryozoan Bugula neritina
Q8. Which marine drug discovery challenge refers to the difficulty of obtaining sufficient quantities of complex natural products?
- Dereplication
- Supply and sustainable harvest
- Bioassay sensitivity
- Taxonomic misidentification
Correct Answer: Supply and sustainable harvest
Q9. What is ‘dereplication’ in marine natural product research?
- Large-scale aquaculture of source organisms
- Early identification of known compounds to avoid rediscovery
- Genetic modification of symbionts
- Total chemical synthesis of lead molecules
Correct Answer: Early identification of known compounds to avoid rediscovery
Q10. Which technique is commonly used to isolate bioactive compounds from marine extracts guided by activity?
- Bioassay-guided fractionation
- Metagenomic sequencing
- Mariculture
- Thin layer chromatography only
Correct Answer: Bioassay-guided fractionation
Q11. Halichondrin B, a microtubule inhibitor, led to the development of which anticancer drug?
- Eribulin
- Paclitaxel
- Imatinib
- Trabectedin
Correct Answer: Eribulin
Q12. Which marine source is a major contributor of novel polyketides and nonribosomal peptides via secondary metabolism?
- Marine actinobacteria (e.g., Salinispora)
- Seagrasses
- Marine mammals
- Planktonic crustaceans
Correct Answer: Marine actinobacteria (e.g., Salinispora)
Q13. Manoalide, an anti-inflammatory marine compound, primarily inhibits which enzyme?
- Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)
- Phospholipase A2
- Proteasome
- Topoisomerase II
Correct Answer: Phospholipase A2
Q14. Which approach helps overcome supply issues by producing marine compounds via microbes or engineered hosts?
- Mariculture of the original macro-organism
- Total chemical synthesis only
- Heterologous expression and microbial fermentation
- Wild harvest intensification
Correct Answer: Heterologous expression and microbial fermentation
Q15. Which marine-derived compound is a DNA-interacting anticancer agent that binds the minor groove and affects transcription?
- Cytarabine
- Trabectedin (ET-743)
- Ziconotide
- Marizomib
Correct Answer: Trabectedin (ET-743)
Q16. Which marine organism is commonly associated with producing bioactive cyanobacterial toxins and peptides?
- Sea cucumbers
- Marine cyanobacteria (blue-green algae)
- Bivalve molluscs
- Deep-sea fishes
Correct Answer: Marine cyanobacteria (blue-green algae)
Q17. Which of the following is an advantage of marine microorganisms over macro-organisms for drug production?
- They always produce higher yields in nature
- They are easier to culture and scale in fermentation
- They require no genetic manipulation
- They have simpler chemistry than macro-organisms
Correct Answer: They are easier to culture and scale in fermentation
Q18. Which marine-derived class frequently contains halogenated compounds important for biological activity?
- Terpenes
- Halogenated alkaloids and polyketides
- Simple sugars
- Unsaturated fatty acids
Correct Answer: Halogenated alkaloids and polyketides
Q19. What is mariculture in the context of marine drug sourcing?
- Laboratory synthesis of marine compounds
- Marine organism farming (aquaculture) to supply biomass
- Sequencing genomes of marine microbes
- Screening planktonic extracts
Correct Answer: Marine organism farming (aquaculture) to supply biomass
Q20. Which marine-derived drug class includes omega-3 fatty acids important in cardiovascular therapy?
- Marine peptides
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)
- Alkaloids
- Glycosides
Correct Answer: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)
Q21. Which strategy reduces ecological impact while enabling production of complex marine natural products?
- Intensive wild harvesting
- Total synthesis with no yield optimization
- Semi-synthesis, fermentation, and heterologous expression
- Complete dependence on sporadic wild collections
Correct Answer: Semi-synthesis, fermentation, and heterologous expression
Q22. Diazepinone-type alkaloids and many unique secondary metabolites are often found in which marine producers?
- Marine sponges and their microbial symbionts
- Marine mammals
- Seagrasses
- Pelagic fish
Correct Answer: Marine sponges and their microbial symbionts
Q23. Which term describes the practice of prioritizing novel chemical structures early in screening to avoid known compounds?
- Bioactivity dilution
- Dereplication
- Lead optimization
- Pharmacokinetic profiling
Correct Answer: Dereplication
Q24. Dolastatins, cytotoxic peptides that inspired antibody‑drug conjugates, were first associated with which marine source?
- Sea hare Dolabella auricularia (likely cyanobacterial origin)
- Coral reefs
- Seaweeds
- Tunicates
Correct Answer: Sea hare Dolabella auricularia (likely cyanobacterial origin)
Q25. Which analytical technique is essential for structural elucidation of novel marine natural products?
- High-resolution NMR and mass spectrometry
- Light microscopy only
- Basic thin-layer chromatography only
- Simple pH titration
Correct Answer: High-resolution NMR and mass spectrometry
Q26. What role do marine symbiotic microorganisms often play in metabolite production?
- They never produce secondary metabolites
- They are common producers of bioactive metabolites attributed to host organisms
- They only consume host metabolites without producing new ones
- They inhibit all natural product biosynthesis
Correct Answer: They are common producers of bioactive metabolites attributed to host organisms
Q27. Which marine-derived compound is an approved drug that modulates protein kinase C and has been studied for Alzheimer’s disease?
- Eribulin
- Bryostatin
- Manoalide
- Salinosporamide
Correct Answer: Bryostatin
Q28. Why is total synthesis sometimes favored for marine drug leads?
- To avoid intellectual property issues only
- To supply complex molecules at scale and allow structural modification
- Total synthesis is always cheaper than fermentation
- It eliminates the need for biological testing
Correct Answer: To supply complex molecules at scale and allow structural modification
Q29. Which marine-derived compound acts as a reversible inhibitor of the 20S proteasome and is in clinical development?
- Trabectedin
- Marizomib (salinosporamide A)
- Ziconotide
- Cytarabine
Correct Answer: Marizomib (salinosporamide A)
Q30. In marine pharmacognosy, which interdisciplinary fields are most important for translating marine leads into drugs?
- Taxonomy, natural product chemistry, pharmacology, biotechnology and clinical development
- Only taxonomy and field collection
- Only marketing and sales
- Only computational chemistry without wet lab work
Correct Answer: Taxonomy, natural product chemistry, pharmacology, biotechnology and clinical development
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
Mail- Sachin@pharmacyfreak.com