Inhibition of xanthine oxidase by Caulerpenyne from Caulerpa prolifera

Objective: Seaweeds synthesize secondary metabolites to protect themselves against many factors such as epiphytic colonizations and herbivorous fishes. A significant amount of active metabolites in seaweeds have industrial importance in pharmacy, cosmetics and medicine. Among seaweeds, Caulerpales have recently aroused interest of many scientists because of its dominant sesquiterpenoid metabolite, caulerpenyne. So far, its anticarcinogenic, antiproliferative and antimicrobial properties have been reported in many papers. The present study aims at evaluating the potential of Caulerpa species as a natural remedy for gout.