Cephalopods: The potential for their use in medicine

Abstract

The interest in biologically active substances (BASs) derived from marine organisms is increasing each year. These compounds are used as a basis for creating new medicines, biopreparations applied in food industry and agriculture, as well as for the production of functional foods, biologically active dietary supplements, and cosmetics. Members of the molluscan class Cephalopoda are quite promising objects for the search for new BASs. Moreover, some squid, octopus, and cuttlefish species are characterized by early onset of sexual maturity, a short lifecycle, rapid body weight gain, rapid recovery of abundance, and the ability to form dense aggregations. The substantial resources and the high species diversity make these animals a reliable source of raw materials for large-scale commercial production.