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Marine algae are the source of a plethora of halogenated compounds, in particular brominated phenols, possessing various bioactivities. Since these natural products are typically unavailable commercially, isolation is usually indispensable for biological activity testing. However, targeted isolation may be challenging due to difficulties in identifying desired compounds via high-resolution LC–MS in crude extracts or fractions. While bromophenols have been extensively reviewed regarding their bioactivities, less attention has been given to their distribution and chemotaxonomic relevance among marine algae. Knowledge of the distribution of bromophenols may aid species identification and also point to species containing potentially novel compounds. To facilitate targeted and untargeted isolation of bromophenols from marine algae, an overview of the distribution and chemotaxonomic relevance of algal bromophenols considering recent phylogenetic findings is presented along with key analytical features of bromophenols relevant for mass spectrometric identification. Additionally, a comprehensive database listing brominated phenols from marine algae and their key analytical properties has been constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Casearia (Salicaceae sensu lato) species have been used as folk medicines in South American and Asian countries since ancient times. Previous phytochemical screenings demonstrated that the Casearia plants mainly contain clerodane diterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, phenylpropanoids and other constituents from different chemical classes. The pharmacological studies confirmed that the crude extracts or individual compounds from the genus showed cytotoxic, hypoglycemic, antiulcer, and anti-inflammatory activities, as well as anti-snake venom property. In this review we presented a summary of the secondary metabolites isolated from Casearia species based on the published literatures through May 2013. In addition to the traditional medicinal use of Casearia plants and their taxonomic characteristics, we focused on the known biological activities of the plants and discussed them in detail here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]