Book review: Medicinal Sponges of the Persian Gulf

Marine sponges with about 107 genuses and more than 15000 species constitute one of the most wonderful marine invertebrates. These creatures with wide variety of biologic compounds has offered unique source of marine bioproducts towards marine researchers and chemists. Persian Gulf is habitant of various marine organisms including different species of marine sponges. The book “Medicinal sponges of the Persian Gulf” offers comprehensive review of marine bioproducts of Persian Gulf sponges. Due to limited information regarding various species of Persian gulf sponges, list of identified marine sponges of Persian gulf and Red sea that is presented in the book was collected in collaboration with Dr. Helmut Lehnert from Germany, Dr. Rob Van Soest from Amsterdam university and Dr. Jochen Gugel from Stuttgart university. Derivatives of about 55 genuses and 28 species of Persian Gulf sponges were found to be bioactive through searching medical databases and are reviewed in different chapters of the book. Cytotoxic and antitumor compounds constitute the most products derived from Persian Gulf sponges. The review explores Persian gulf sponges as a natural pharmacy with potential pharmaceutical derivatives in near future and indicates further need for investigation of Persian gulf marine organisms’ for bioactive products.