1. Introduction
The potential of marine life as a source of novel molecules is immense and has been
barely investigated. Because of their longer evolutionary history, marine organisms
likely posses a greater molecular diversity than do their terrestrial counterparts. In
comparison with the other lifeforms, bioactive compounds have been detected especially
frequently in sponges. Sponges (phylum Porifera) are most primitive of the multicelled
animals that have existed for 700–800 million years. Of the approximately 15,000sponge species, most occur in marine environments. Only about 1% of the species
inhabits freshwater.