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Marine Drugs
Special Issues
Biomedical Application of Marine-Derived Carbohydrates
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Biomedical Application of Marine-Derived Carbohydrates

A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Pharmacology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 7928

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Fuming Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
Interests: purification and structural characterization of complex carbohydrates; bioengineered of heparin and LMWH; molecular interaction; drug discovery; infectious diseases; Alzheimer's disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yuefan Song

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
Interests: sulfated glycans; marine algal glycans; glycosaminoglycans; structural characterization; structure-activity relationship; glycomaterial
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,                

Carbohydrates are known as the most abundant naturally produced biomolecules. They are also listed as the most structurally complicated molecules. Carbohydrates serve not only as major energy sources and structural components, but also as bioactive compounds. Through their interaction with myriad proteins, carbohydrates play vital biological functions in signaling transduction, pathogen recognition, tumor metastasis, cellular communication and more. 

The great diversity of marine organisms provides a vast source of carbohydrates (such as sulfated fucans, sulfated galactans and glycosaminoglycan (GAG)) with nutritional and biomedical/therapeutic values and applications. Carbohydrates (polysaccharides, oligosaccharides) purified from various marine organisms have been reported to have numerous bioactivities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, anticancer and anti-virus. For example, many marine-sulfated glycans were recently reported to have potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity by inhibiting the binding of the viral surface S-protein to the receptors on host cells.

The main goal of this Special Issue is to highlight the progress of marine-derived carbohydrates in drug discovery and development. We invite scientific researchers in this field to submit reviews or research articles to cover the following topics: (i) the purification and structural characterization of novel marine-based carbohydrates; (ii) innovative analytical methods used for the structural characterization of carbohydrates; (iii) the potential of marine-based carbohydrates as therapeutics, such as anticancer, anti-neurodegenerative diseases and anti-viral agents; (iv) and mechanistic study on the bioactivity of marine-based carbohydrates.

Prof. Dr. Fuming Zhang
Dr. Yuefan Song
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Marine Drugs is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • marine carbohydrates 
  • angiogenesis 
  • cancer 
  • infectious diseases 
  • coagulation 
  • inflammation 
  • infection 
  • sulfated fucans 
  • sulfated galactans 
  • thrombosis 
  • drug discovery 
  • SARS-CoV-2

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 3604 KiB  
Article
Marine-Derived Sulfated Glycans Inhibit the Interaction of Heparin with Adhesion Proteins of Mycoplasma pneumoniae
by Jiyuan Yang, Yuefan Song, Ke Xia, Vitor H. Pomin, Chunyu Wang, Mingqiang Qiao, Robert J. Linhardt, Jonathan S. Dordick and Fuming Zhang
Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(5), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22050232 - 20 May 2024
Viewed by 1396
Abstract
Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a notable pathogen behind respiratory infections, employs specialized proteins to adhere to the respiratory epithelium, an essential process for initiating infection. The role of glycosaminoglycans, especially heparan sulfate, is critical in facilitating pathogen–host interactions, presenting a strategic target for therapeutic [...] Read more.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a notable pathogen behind respiratory infections, employs specialized proteins to adhere to the respiratory epithelium, an essential process for initiating infection. The role of glycosaminoglycans, especially heparan sulfate, is critical in facilitating pathogen–host interactions, presenting a strategic target for therapeutic intervention. In this study, we assembled a glycan library comprising heparin, its oligosaccharide derivatives, and a variety of marine-derived sulfated glycans to screen the potential inhibitors for the pathogen–host interactions. By using Surface Plasmon Resonance spectroscopy, we evaluated the library’s efficacy in inhibiting the interaction between M. pneumoniae adhesion proteins and heparin. Our findings offer a promising avenue for developing novel therapeutic strategies against M. pneumoniae infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomedical Application of Marine-Derived Carbohydrates)
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14 pages, 2689 KiB  
Article
Structural Elucidation of Glycosaminoglycans in the Tissue of Flounder and Isolation of Chondroitin Sulfate C
by Zhe Wang, Weiwen Wang, Hao Gong, Yudi Jiang, Renjie Liu, Guangli Yu, Guoyun Li and Chao Cai
Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(5), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22050198 - 26 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1625
Abstract
Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are valuable bioactive polysaccharides with promising biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. In this study, we analyzed GAGs using HPLC-MS/MS from the bone (B), muscle (M), skin (S), and viscera (V) of Scophthalmus maximus (SM), Paralichthysi (P), Limanda ferruginea (LF), Cleisthenes herzensteini (G), [...] Read more.
Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are valuable bioactive polysaccharides with promising biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. In this study, we analyzed GAGs using HPLC-MS/MS from the bone (B), muscle (M), skin (S), and viscera (V) of Scophthalmus maximus (SM), Paralichthysi (P), Limanda ferruginea (LF), Cleisthenes herzensteini (G), Platichthys bicoloratus (PB), Pleuronichthys cornutus (PC), and Cleisthenes herzensteini (CH). Unsaturated disaccharide products were obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of the GAGs and subjected to compositional analysis of chondroitin sulfate (CS), heparin sulfate (HS), and hyaluronic acid (HA), including the sulfation degree of CS and HS, as well as the content of each GAG. The contents of GAGs in the tissues and the sulfation degree differed significantly among the fish. The bone of S. maximus contained more than 12 μg of CS per mg of dry tissue. Although the fish typically contained high levels of CSA (CS-4S), some fish bone tissue exhibited elevated levels of CSC (CS-6S). The HS content was found to range from 10–150 ug/g, primarily distributed in viscera, with a predominant non-sulfated structure (HS-0S). The structure of HA is well-defined without sulfation modification. These analytical results are independent of biological classification. We provide a high-throughput rapid detection method for tissue samples using HPLC-MS/MS to rapidly screen ideal sources of GAG. On this basis, four kinds of CS were prepared and purified from flounder bone, and their molecular weight was determined to be 23–28 kDa by HPGPC-MALLS, and the disaccharide component unit was dominated by CS-6S, which is a potential substitute for CSC derived from shark cartilage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomedical Application of Marine-Derived Carbohydrates)
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18 pages, 6557 KiB  
Article
Prospective Antiviral Effect of Ulva lactuca Aqueous Extract against COVID-19 Infection
by Reem Binsuwaidan, Thanaa A. El-Masry, Mostafa El-Sheekh, Mohamed G. Seadawy, Mofida E. M. Makhlof, Shaimaa M. Aboukhatwa, Nagla A. El-Shitany, Kadreya E. Elmorshedy, Maysa M. F. El-Nagar and Maisra M. El-Bouseary
Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22010030 - 30 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2545
Abstract
Marine algal extracts exhibit a potent inhibitory effect against several enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. The infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has several adverse effects, including an increased mortality rate. The anti-COVID-19 agents are still limited; this issue requires exploring [...] Read more.
Marine algal extracts exhibit a potent inhibitory effect against several enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. The infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has several adverse effects, including an increased mortality rate. The anti-COVID-19 agents are still limited; this issue requires exploring novel, effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic approaches. This study investigated the antiviral activity of an aqueous extract of Ulva lactuca, which was collected from the Gulf of Suez, Egypt. The aqueous extract of Ulva lactuca was characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses. According to the HPLC analysis, the extract comprises several sugars, mostly rhamnose (32.88%). The FTIR spectra showed numerous bands related to the functional groups. EDX analysis confirmed the presence of different elements, such as oxygen (O), carbon (C), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and sodium (Na), with different concentrations. The aqueous extract of U. lactuca (0.0312 mg/mL) exhibited potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity via virucidal activity, inhibition of viral replication, and interference with viral adsorption (% inhibitions of 64%, 33.3%, and 31.1%, respectively). Consequently, ulvan could be a promising compound for preclinical study in the drug development process to combat SARS-CoV-2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomedical Application of Marine-Derived Carbohydrates)
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14 pages, 5284 KiB  
Article
Anti-Hyperlipidemic Effect of Fucoidan Fractions Prepared from Iceland Brown Algae Ascophyllum nodosum in an Hyperlipidemic Mice Model
by Yunhai He, Yutong Li, Peili Shen, Shangkun Li, Linsong Zhang, Qiukuan Wang, Dandan Ren, Shu Liu, Demeng Zhang and Hui Zhou
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(9), 468; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21090468 - 26 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1859
Abstract
Ascophyllum nodosum, a brown algae abundantly found along the North Atlantic coast, is recognized for its high polysaccharide content. In this study, we investigated the anti-hyperlipidemic effect of fucoidans derived from A. nodosum, aiming to provide information for their potential application [...] Read more.
Ascophyllum nodosum, a brown algae abundantly found along the North Atlantic coast, is recognized for its high polysaccharide content. In this study, we investigated the anti-hyperlipidemic effect of fucoidans derived from A. nodosum, aiming to provide information for their potential application in anti-hyperlipidemic therapies and to explore comprehensive utilization of this Iceland brown seaweed. The crude fucoidan prepared from A. nodosum was separated using a diethylethanolamine column, resulting in two fucoidan fractions, AFC-1 and AFC-2. Both fractions were predominantly composed of fucose and xylose. AFC-1 exhibited a higher sulfate content of 27.8% compared to AFC-2 with 17.0%. AFC-2 was primarily sulfated at the hydroxy group of C2, whereas AFC-1 was sulfated at both the hydroxy groups of C2 and C4. To evaluate the anti-hyperlipidemic effect, a hyperlipidemia mouse model was established by feeding mice a high-fat diet. The effects of AFC-1, AFC-2, and the crude extract were investigated, with the drug atorvastatin used as a positive comparison. Among the different fucoidan fractions and doses, the high dose of AFC-2 administration demonstrated the most significant anti-hyperlipidemic effect across various aspects, including physiological parameters, blood glucose levels, lipid profile, histological analysis, and the activities of oxidative stress-related enzymes and lipoprotein-metabolism-related enzymes (p < 0.05 for the final body weight and p < 0.01 for the rest indicators, compared with the model group), and its effect is comparable to the atorvastatin administration. Furthermore, fucoidan administration resulted in a lower degree of loss in gut flora diversity compared to atorvastatin administration. These findings highlight the significant biomedical potential of fucoidans derived from A. nodosum as a promising therapeutic solution for hypolipidemia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomedical Application of Marine-Derived Carbohydrates)
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