Halomon is a polyhalogenated monoterpene first isolated from the marine

red algae Red algae, or Rhodophyta (, ; ), are one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae. The Rhodophyta also comprises one of the largest phyla of algae, containing over 7,000 currently recognized species with taxonomic revisions ongoing. The majority ...

Portieria hornemannii ''Portieria hornemannii'' is a species of red algae in the family Rhizophyllidaceae. The chemical halomon was discovered in this species. References External links''Portieria hornemannii''at AlgaeBase AlgaeBase is a global species databas ...

''. Halomon has attracted research interest because of its promising profile of selective

cytotoxicity Cytotoxicity is the quality of being toxic to cells. Examples of toxic agents are an immune cell or some types of venom, e.g. from the puff adder (''Bitis arietans'') or brown recluse spider (''Loxosceles reclusa''). Cell physiology Treating cells ...

that suggests its potential use as an antitumor agent. Halomon is in a class of chemical compounds known as

halocarbon Halocarbon compounds are chemicals in which one or more carbon atoms are linked by covalent bonds with one or more halogen atoms (fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine – ) resulting in the formation of organofluorine compounds, organochlori ...

s, which are often potent alkylating agents which may be toxic to individual cells or to living organisms. The red algae that naturally produce halomon and other related compounds probably do so as a poisonous defense against fish or other marine life that may see it as a potential source of food. Halomon, however, is a selective toxin; studies at the National Cancer Institute have indicated that it is more toxic to certain types of tumor cells than to other cells. The

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

that produces halomon is difficult to locate, identify, and collect and the concentration of halomon in the organism is extremely low. Therefore, obtaining a sufficient amount of halomon to conduct preclinical research has been difficult. Consequently, there has been active interest in developing synthetic methods in the laboratory for the preparation of halomon and related compounds. Recent research has shown that halomon and a related halogenated monoterpene may act as

demethylating agent Demethylating agents are chemical substances that can inhibit methylation, resulting in the expression of the previously hypermethylated silenced genes (see Methylation#Cancer for more detail). Cytidine analogs such as 5-azacytidine (azacitidine) ...

s, suggesting a possible mechanism of action for the pharmacological effects of halomon.

References

External links

*{{Commons category-inline
Halomon at Reciprocal Net
Halogen-containing natural products Monoterpenes Organochlorides Organobromides Haloalkenes