The genus Pseudoceratina: Phytochemistry, Biosynthesis, and Pharmacology

Abstract

Pseudoceratina genus is a wealthy source of diverse secondary metabolites with unique structural features, with brominated tyrosine derivatives being the most abundant and chemotaxonomically significant metabolites. Additionally, alkaloids, meroterpenoids, glycolipids, phenolics, sterols, and nitrogenous compounds were also identified from Pseudoceratina genus. These metabolites demonstrated a myriad of pharmacological and biological potentialities, including antibacterial, antifungal, antimalarial, antifouling, anti-trypanosoma, and cytotoxic, as well as inhibitory activities against HDAC-1 (histone deacetylase-1), DNMT (DNA methyltransferase), acetylcholine esterase (AChE), butylcholine esterase (BuChE), and isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (Icmt). This review provides an overview of the secondary metabolites reported from various Pseudoceratina sponges, including their sources, biosynthesis, and bioactivities in the period from 1990 to the end of August 2025. In the current work, more than 252 compounds were discussed with seventy-five references cited. The structural diversity and promising pharmacological properties of these metabolites highlight Pseudoceratina as an underexplored genus with significant potential for drug discovery. However, more mechanistic, pharmacokinetic, and in vivo studies are required to fully explore their therapeutic potential.