Chilling Allelochemicals: Natural Products and Bioactivities from Polar and Sub-Polar Latitudes
A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2019) | Viewed by 27111
Special Issue Editor
2. NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Interests: coral reefs; marine ecology; functional symbiosis; marine invertebrates; chemical ecology; multiomics in ecology; Antarctic ecosystems; Mediterranean sea; ocean acidification; marine heat waves
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Our oceans are extremely rich reserves of allelochemicals—natural compounds, mostly secondary metabolites, originating from living organisms that influence the behavior, growth, signaling, and reproduction of other organisms. These substances, which mediate key ecological interactions (allelopathy), have been maintained during evolution for conferring protection under ecological constrains, and for enhancing survival to biological communities. Out of the many bioactive chemicals described from the oceans, only a small fraction has been studied for their ecological significance. Similarly, most chemically-mediated interactions are not well understood, because the molecules involved remain unrevealed. In Polar regions, this gap in knowledge is even more acute in comparison to tropical or temperate regions, even if polar organisms are also prolific producers of interesting natural products. The extreme and uniquely complex marine environments surrounding the South and North Poles are expected to favor the production of numerous unusual functional secondary metabolites. Indeed, there is an urgent need to comprehend the evolutionary role of marine derived substances in general, and particularly in the Poles.
Marine bioactive molecules offer also a great deal of applications in pharmacology (e.g., drugs to fight cancer or inflammatory diseases), cosmetics and skincare products (e.g., eco-friendly sunscreens), industry (e.g., ecologically friendly antifouling paints), or even nutraceuticals (e.g., omega;-3 fatty acids, algal gelling agents). To date, less than 3% of the reported marine compounds originate from higher latitudes, despite the fact that a huge portion of global shallow-water habitat is found around the Antarctic. The reasons for this asymmetry are probably related to the difficult accessibility, harsh climate, and the prevailing theory that Polar systems should be less biochemically productive.
In this Special Issue of Marine Drugs, entitled “Chilling Allelochemicals: Natural Products and Bioactivities from Polar and Sub-Polar Latitudes”;, we intend to compile any discovery or contribution of identified marine natural products or natural mixtures of metabolites proven to have a biological or ecological function in Polar ecosystems. This Special issue is focused on (but not limited to) compounds that are involved in allelopathy among natural organisms. Nonetheless, the issue will also collect work on compounds or mixtures that are able to target other activities related to the development of eco-friendly products with applications for human goods and services.
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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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.
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Keywords
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Chemical ecology
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Bioactive metabolites
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Defense
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Antifouling
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Photoprotection
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Drug discovery
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Eco-friendly products
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Marine invertebrates and algae
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Symbiosis
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Microorganisms
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