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Marine Drugs
Special Issues
Neuroprotective Effects of Marine Natural Products 2022
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Neuroprotective Effects of Marine Natural Products 2022

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 12765

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Helena Gaspar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
BioISI – Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: marine natural products; neurological disorders; pharmaceuticals; new psychoactive substances in drug abuse market
Dr. Joana Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, 2520-641 Peniche, Portugal
Interests: marine natural products; marine biotechnology; pharmaceutical applications; neuroprotective compounds from seaweeds; anti-inflammatory; intracellular signaling pathways; isolation compounds from seaweeds and fungi
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Neurodegenerative diseases (ND) are a major concern amongst the aging population, having severe socioeconomic impacts and devastating effects on patients' quality of life. To date, there are no effective treatments against many neurological disorders, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and the available drugs only bring symptomatic benefits over a short period of time. Therefore, due to the lack of effective therapeutic options, there is an urgent need for the discovery and development of new therapeutic agents for the prevention and/or treatment of neurodegenerative impairment. The ability of marine organisms to biosynthesize compounds with distinct and unique chemical structures, interesting biological activities, and different mechanisms of action has inspired scientists to explore the marine environment as a source of new molecules with neuroprotective potential. This Special Issue intends to share with the scientific community the cutting-edge research on the neuroprotective effects of marine natural products. Works focused on the isolation and chemical characterization of marine bioactive compounds, bioavailability and bioaccessibility assessment, structure–bioactivity relationships, and the underlying mechanisms of action, through the use of the most recent in vitro and in vivo models in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, are welcome. Additionally, well-supported studies relating neuroprotection with the consumption of marine ingredients will be also considered. This Special Issue is open to high-quality reviews, full-length articles and short communications.

Dr. Helena Gaspar
Dr. Joana Silva
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 natural products
  • neuroprotective activity
  • neuroinflammation
  • intracellular signaling pathways
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • blood-brain barrier

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1957 KiB  
Article
Meridianins Inhibit GSK3β In Vivo and Improve Behavioral Alterations Induced by Chronic Stress
by Anna Sancho-Balsells, Esther García-García, Francesca Flotta, Wanqi Chen, Jordi Alberch, Manuel J. Rodríguez, Conxita Avila and Albert Giralt
Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(10), 648; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20100648 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2535
Abstract
Major depression disorder (MDD) is a severe mental alteration with a multifactorial origin, and chronic stress is one of the most relevant environmental risk factors associated with MDD. Although there exist some therapeutical options, 30% of patients are still resistant to any type [...] Read more.
Major depression disorder (MDD) is a severe mental alteration with a multifactorial origin, and chronic stress is one of the most relevant environmental risk factors associated with MDD. Although there exist some therapeutical options, 30% of patients are still resistant to any type of treatment. GSK3β inhibitors are considered very promising therapeutic tools to counteract stress-related affectations. However, they are often associated with excessive off-target effects and undesired secondary alterations. Meridianins are alkaloids with an indole framework linked to an aminopyrimidine ring from Antarctic marine ascidians. Meridianins could overcome several of the aforementioned limitations since we previously demonstrated that they can inhibit GSK3β activity without the associated neurotoxic or off-target effects in rodents. Here, we show that meridianins delivered into the lateral ventricle inhibited GSK3β in several brain regions involved with stress-related symptoms. We also observed changes in major signaling pathways in the prefrontal cortex (Akt and PKA) and hippocampus (PKC and GluR1). Moreover, meridianins increased synaptic activity, specifically in the CA1 but not in the CA3 or other hippocampal subfields. Finally, we chronically treated the mice subjected to an unpredictable mild chronic stress (CUMS) paradigm with meridianins. Our results showed improvements produced by meridianins in behavioral alterations provoked by CUMS. In conclusion, meridianins could be of therapeutic interest to patients with stress-related disorders such as MDD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuroprotective Effects of Marine Natural Products 2022)
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21 pages, 8014 KiB  
Article
Porphyra tenera Protects against PM2.5-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction with the Regulation of Gut Function
by Seon Kyeong Park, Jin Yong Kang, Jong Min Kim, Min Ji Kim, Hyo Lim Lee, Jong Hyun Moon, Hye Rin Jeong, Hyun-Jin Kim, Min-Yu Chung and Ho Jin Heo
Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(7), 439; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20070439 - 30 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2990
Abstract
To evaluate the biological effects of Porphyra tenera (P. tenera), we tried to confirm the possibility that the intake of P. tenera could modulate cognitive and intestinal functions in PM2.5-induced cognitive decline mice. P. tenera attenuated PM2.5-induced [...] Read more.
To evaluate the biological effects of Porphyra tenera (P. tenera), we tried to confirm the possibility that the intake of P. tenera could modulate cognitive and intestinal functions in PM2.5-induced cognitive decline mice. P. tenera attenuated PM2.5-induced learning and memory impairment through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects by regulating the mitochondrial function and TLR-initiated NF-κB signaling. In addition, P. tenera effectively alleviated Aβ production/tau phosphorylation by inhibiting the JNK phosphorylation. Also, the bioactive constituents of P. tenera determined the sulfated galactan, mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), and chlorophyll derivatives. Moreover, the bioactive compounds of P. tenera by gut fermentation protected against gut dysbiosis and intestinal tight junction damage with a decrease in inflammatory response and short-chain fatty acid production. Based on these results, our findings suggest that P. tenera with sulfated galactan and MAAs is a potential material for cognitive function improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuroprotective Effects of Marine Natural Products 2022)
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15 pages, 2776 KiB  
Article
Novel Prenylated Indole Alkaloids with Neuroprotection on SH-SY5Y Cells against Oxidative Stress Targeting Keap1–Nrf2
by Xueyang Xiao, Zhou Tong, Yuexing Zhang, Hui Zhou, Mengying Luo, Tianhui Hu, Ping Hu, Luqi Kong, Zeqin Liu, Chan Yu, Zhiyong Huang and Linzhen Hu
Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(3), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20030191 - 4 Mar 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3812
Abstract
Oxidative stress has been implicated in the etiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Molecules non-covalently binding to the Keap1–Nrf2 complex could be a promising therapeutic approach for PD. Herein, two novel prenylated indole alkaloids asperpenazine (1), and asperpendoline (2) with [...] Read more.
Oxidative stress has been implicated in the etiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Molecules non-covalently binding to the Keap1–Nrf2 complex could be a promising therapeutic approach for PD. Herein, two novel prenylated indole alkaloids asperpenazine (1), and asperpendoline (2) with a scarce skeleton of pyrimido[1,6-a]indole were discovered from the co-cultivated fungi of Aspergillus ochraceus MCCC 3A00521 and Penicillium sp. HUBU 0120. Compound 2 exhibited potential neuroprotective activity on SH-SY5Y cells against oxidative stress. Molecular mechanism research demonstrated that 2 inhibited Keap1 expression, resulting in the translocation of Nrf2 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, activating the downstream genes expression of HO-1 and NQO1, leading to the reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the augment of glutathione. Molecular docking and dynamic simulation analyses manifested that 2 interacted with Keap1 (PDB ID: 1X2R) via forming typical hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds with residues and presented less fluctuation of RMSD and RMSF during a natural physiological condition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuroprotective Effects of Marine Natural Products 2022)
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Review

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26 pages, 2957 KiB  
Review
Marine-Derived Components: Can They Be a Potential Therapeutic Approach to Parkinson’s Disease?
by Joana Silva, Celso Alves, Francisca Soledade, Alice Martins, Susete Pinteus, Helena Gaspar, Amparo Alfonso and Rui Pedrosa
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(8), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21080451 - 16 Aug 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2665
Abstract
The increase in the life expectancy average has led to a growing elderly population, thus leading to a prevalence of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by a progressive degeneration of [...] Read more.
The increase in the life expectancy average has led to a growing elderly population, thus leading to a prevalence of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by a progressive degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). The marine environment has proven to be a source of unique and diverse chemical structures with great therapeutic potential to be used in the treatment of several pathologies, including neurodegenerative impairments. This review is focused on compounds isolated from marine organisms with neuroprotective activities on in vitro and in vivo models based on their chemical structures, taxonomy, neuroprotective effects, and their possible mechanism of action in PD. About 60 compounds isolated from marine bacteria, fungi, mollusk, sea cucumber, seaweed, soft coral, sponge, and starfish with neuroprotective potential on PD therapy are reported. Peptides, alkaloids, quinones, terpenes, polysaccharides, polyphenols, lipids, pigments, and mycotoxins were isolated from those marine organisms. They can act in several PD hallmarks, reducing oxidative stress, preventing mitochondrial dysfunction, α-synuclein aggregation, and blocking inflammatory pathways through the inhibition translocation of NF-kB factor, reduction of human tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). This review gathers the marine natural products that have shown pharmacological activities acting on targets belonging to different intracellular signaling pathways related to PD development, which should be considered for future pre-clinical studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuroprotective Effects of Marine Natural Products 2022)
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