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Journals
Marine Drugs
Special Issues
Pharmaceutical Potential of Marine Microorganisms
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Pharmaceutical Potential of Marine Microorganisms

A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2022) | Viewed by 16478

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hanna Mazur-Marzec

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Marszałka J. Piłsudskiego 46, PL-81378 Gdynia, Poland
Interests: natural products; marine drugs; cytotoxicity, antiviral agents; nonribosomal peptides; structure and activity; cyanobacteria toxins; peptidomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Anna Toruńska-Sitarz

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Division of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, , Marszałka J. Piłsudskiego 46, PL-81378 Gdynia, Poland
Interests: marine microbes; bioactive natural products; marine drugs; nonribosomal peptides; antibacterial activity; molecular ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine microorganisms and their products have found application in many areas life. Extensive exploration into marine microorganisms started in the 21st century, and only a fraction of their real potential has been discovered.

As a follow-up to the previous Special Issue on Bioactive Molecules from Marine Microorganisms, which was edited as a Special Issue Book, we decided to announce a second version of the issue focusing on Pharmaceutical Potential of Marine Microorganisms. This time, we aim to provide a platform for researchers to publish their latest findings on microbial metabolites that have potential to be developed into drugs. You are invited to contribute to this Special Issue with submissions on the discovery of bioactive products, and identification and characterization of source organisms, including free-living and symbiotic marine microorganisms. We also encourage submissions related to biosynthesis, structure–activity studies, drug-like properties of microbial products, leads optimization and alternative methods of production.

Comprehensive review articles that synthesize the current knowledge on the pharmaceutical potential of bioactive products from marine microbes are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Hanna Mazur-Marzec
Dr. Anna Toruńska-Sitarz
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 microorganisms
  • Natural products
  • Bioactivity
  • Anticancer
  • Antibacterial
  • Antifungal
  • Antiviral
  • Immunomodulating activity
  • Enzyme inhibitors
  • Biosynthesis
  • Genome mining
  • Structure elucidation
  • Bioprospecting

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 2515 KiB  
Article
Anti-Inflammatory Polyketides from an Alga-Derived Fungus Aspergillus ochraceopetaliformis SCSIO 41020
by Chunmei Chen, Xue Ren, Huaming Tao, Wenteng Cai, Yuchi Chen, Xiaowei Luo, Peng Guo and Yonghong Liu
Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(5), 295; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20050295 - 27 Apr 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2123
Abstract
A new linear polyketide, named aspormisin A (1), together with five known polyketides (2–6), were isolated from the alga-derived fungus Aspergillus ochraceopetaliformis SCSIO 41020. Their structures were elucidated through a detailed comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, as well as [...] Read more.
A new linear polyketide, named aspormisin A (1), together with five known polyketides (2–6), were isolated from the alga-derived fungus Aspergillus ochraceopetaliformis SCSIO 41020. Their structures were elucidated through a detailed comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, as well as a comparison with the literature. An anti-inflammatory evaluation showed that compounds 2, 5, and 6 possessed inhibitory activity against the excessive production of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages in a dose-dependent manner without cytotoxicity. Further studies revealed that compound 2 was active in blocking the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, MCP-1, and TNF-α) induced by LPS both in vivo and in vitro. Our findings provide a basis for the further development of linear polyketides as promising anti-inflammatory agents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmaceutical Potential of Marine Microorganisms)
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13 pages, 4921 KiB  
Article
Aurasperone A Inhibits SARS CoV-2 In Vitro: An Integrated In Vitro and In Silico Study
by Mai H. ElNaggar, Ghada M. Abdelwahab, Omnia Kutkat, Mohamed GabAllah, Mohamed A. Ali, Mohamed E. A. El-Metwally, Ahmed M. Sayed, Usama Ramadan Abdelmohsen and Ashraf T. Khalil
Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(3), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20030179 - 28 Feb 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3325
Abstract
Several natural products recovered from a marine-derived Aspergillus niger were tested for their inhibitory activity against SARS CoV-2 in vitro. Aurasperone A (3) was found to inhibit SARS CoV-2 efficiently (IC50 = 12.25 µM) with comparable activity with the positive [...] Read more.
Several natural products recovered from a marine-derived Aspergillus niger were tested for their inhibitory activity against SARS CoV-2 in vitro. Aurasperone A (3) was found to inhibit SARS CoV-2 efficiently (IC50 = 12.25 µM) with comparable activity with the positive control remdesivir (IC50 = 10.11 µM). Aurasperone A exerted minimal cytotoxicity on Vero E6 cells (CC50 = 32.36 mM, SI = 2641.5) and it was found to be much safer than remdesivir (CC50 = 415.22 µM, SI = 41.07). To putatively highlight its molecular target, aurasperone A was subjected to molecular docking against several key-viral protein targets followed by a series of molecular dynamics-based in silico experiments that suggested Mpro to be its primary viral protein target. More potent anti-SARS CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors can be developed according to our findings presented in the present investigation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmaceutical Potential of Marine Microorganisms)
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12 pages, 1244 KiB  
Article
Biological Activity and Stability of Aeruginosamides from Cyanobacteria
by Marta Cegłowska, Patrycja Kwiecień, Karolina Szubert, Paweł Brzuzan, Maciej Florczyk, Christine Edwards, Alicja Kosakowska and Hanna Mazur-Marzec
Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(2), 93; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20020093 - 21 Jan 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3434
Abstract
Aeruginosamides (AEGs) are classified as cyanobactins, ribosomally synthesized peptides with post-translational modifications. They have been identified in cyanobacteria of genera Microcystis, Oscillatoria, and Limnoraphis. In this work, the new data on the in vitro activities of three AEG variants, AEG [...] Read more.
Aeruginosamides (AEGs) are classified as cyanobactins, ribosomally synthesized peptides with post-translational modifications. They have been identified in cyanobacteria of genera Microcystis, Oscillatoria, and Limnoraphis. In this work, the new data on the in vitro activities of three AEG variants, AEG A, AEG625 and AEG657, and their interactions with metabolic enzymes are reported. Two aeruginosamides, AEG625 and AEG657, decreased the viability of human breast cancer cell line T47D, but neither of the peptides was active against human liver cancer cell line Huh7. AEGs also did not change the expression of MIR92b-3p, but for AEG625, the induction of oxidative stress was observed. In the presence of a liver S9 fraction containing microsomal and cytosolic enzymes, AEG625 and AEG657 showed high stability. In the same assays, quick removal of AEG A was recorded. The peptides had mild activity against three cytochrome P450 enzymes, CYP2C9, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4, but only at the highest concentration used in the study (60 µM). The properties of AEGs, i.e., cytotoxic activity and in vitro interactions with important metabolic enzymes, form a good basis for further studies on their pharmacological potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmaceutical Potential of Marine Microorganisms)
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Review

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17 pages, 370 KiB  
Review
Antimicrobial Peptides from Photosynthetic Marine Organisms with Potential Application in Aquaculture
by José María García-Beltrán, Marta Arizcun and Elena Chaves-Pozo
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(5), 290; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21050290 - 8 May 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2754
Abstract
Aquaculture production is at a record level and is estimated to increase in the coming years. However, this production can be negatively affected by infectious diseases produced by viruses, bacteria, and parasites, causing fish mortality and economic losses. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small [...] Read more.
Aquaculture production is at a record level and is estimated to increase in the coming years. However, this production can be negatively affected by infectious diseases produced by viruses, bacteria, and parasites, causing fish mortality and economic losses. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small peptides that may be promising candidates to replace antibiotics because they are the first line of defense in animals against a wide variety of pathogens and have no negative effects; they also show additional activities such as antioxidant or immunoregulatory functions, which makes them powerful alternatives for use in aquaculture. Moreover, AMPs are highly available in natural sources and have already been used in the livestock farming and food industries. Photosynthetic marine organisms can survive under all kinds of environmental conditions and under extremely competitive environments thanks to their flexible metabolism. For this reason, these organisms represent a powerful source of bioactive molecules as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, including AMPs. Therefore, in this study we reviewed the present knowledge about AMPs from photosynthetic marine organism sources and analyzed whether they could be suitable for use in aquaculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmaceutical Potential of Marine Microorganisms)
19 pages, 1905 KiB  
Review
Microalgae as an Efficient Vehicle for the Production and Targeted Delivery of Therapeutic Glycoproteins against SARS-CoV-2 Variants
by Jaber Dehghani, Ali Movafeghi, Elodie Mathieu-Rivet, Narimane Mati-Baouche, Sébastien Calbo, Patrice Lerouge and Muriel Bardor
Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(11), 657; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20110657 - 23 Oct 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3624
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome–Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can infect various human organs, including the respiratory, circulatory, nervous, and gastrointestinal ones. The virus is internalized into human cells by binding to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor through its spike protein (S-glycoprotein). As S-glycoprotein [...] Read more.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome–Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can infect various human organs, including the respiratory, circulatory, nervous, and gastrointestinal ones. The virus is internalized into human cells by binding to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor through its spike protein (S-glycoprotein). As S-glycoprotein is required for the attachment and entry into the human target cells, it is the primary mediator of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. Currently, this glycoprotein has received considerable attention as a key component for the development of antiviral vaccines or biologics against SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, since the ACE2 receptor constitutes the main entry route for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, its soluble form could be considered as a promising approach for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 infection (COVID-19). Both S-glycoprotein and ACE2 are highly glycosylated molecules containing 22 and 7 consensus N-glycosylation sites, respectively. The N-glycan structures attached to these specific sites are required for the folding, conformation, recycling, and biological activity of both glycoproteins. Thus far, recombinant S-glycoprotein and ACE2 have been produced primarily in mammalian cells, which is an expensive process. Therefore, benefiting from a cheaper cell-based biofactory would be a good value added to the development of cost-effective recombinant vaccines and biopharmaceuticals directed against COVID-19. To this end, efficient protein synthesis machinery and the ability to properly impose post-translational modifications make microalgae an eco-friendly platform for the production of pharmaceutical glycoproteins. Notably, several microalgae (e.g., Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Dunaliella bardawil, and Chlorella species) are already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as safe human food. Because microalgal cells contain a rigid cell wall that could act as a natural encapsulation to protect the recombinant proteins from the aggressive environment of the stomach, this feature could be used for the rapid production and edible targeted delivery of S-glycoprotein and soluble ACE2 for the treatment/inhibition of SARS-CoV-2. Herein, we have reviewed the pathogenesis mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 and then highlighted the potential of microalgae for the treatment/inhibition of COVID-19 infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmaceutical Potential of Marine Microorganisms)
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