JAKARTA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- An Indonesian scientist found an anti-cancer compound from sponges taken from waters around the North Sulawesi's capital city of Manado, the Kompas daily reported on Saturday.

    Ariyanti S Dewi, a researcher from Research Center of Marine and Fishery (BRKP), found the active compound called Isoaatamine from Aaptos cf suberitoides sponge and Theonellapeptolide from an unidentified one.

    Ariyanti found the power of the compounds while she was conducting a chemical marine research in the last one year.

    "The compounds have power as immunotherapy by activating certain enzymes to prevent cancer in body," Ariyanti said.

    However, it needs varies of research and test to animals as well as clinical tests for 15-20 years before reaching phase of producing medicine for human.

    "The use as medicine by industry would provide patent for Indonesian researchers and the BRKP," she said.

    According to Indroyono Susilo, the former of the BRKP's head, the following research is possibly conducted in Indonesia by cooperating with related research agencies, like the Indonesian Science Institution (LIPI) and Eijkman Molecular Biology Institution.

    Researches by foreign researchers in Indonesian waters have managed to isolate 66 organisms that have medicine potential, with49 of them from sponge species.

    In developed countries, the isolated bioactive compounds have high economical value. In 2002, the U.S. earned 34 billion U.S. dollars from active compound for medicine.