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Marine Drugs
Volume 23
Issue 11
10.3390/md23110440
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Review

Structure Meets Function: Dissecting Fucoxanthin’s Bioactive Architecture

by
Patrícia Nogueira
1,2,
Victória Bombarda-Rocha
1,2,
Rita Tavares-Henriques
1,
Mariana Carneiro
3,
Emília Sousa
4,5,
Jorge Gonçalves
1,2,* and
Paula Fresco
1,2
1
Laboratório de Farmacologia, Departamento de Ciências do Medicamento, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
2
UCIBIO Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Mechanistic Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Associate Laboratory i4HB, Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
3
Necton S.A., Belamandil, 8700-152 Olhão, Portugal
4
Laboratório de Química Orgânica e Farmacêutica, Departamento de Ciências Químicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
5
CIIMAR—Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Mar. Drugs 2025, 23(11), 440; https://doi.org/10.3390/md23110440 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 24 October 2025 / Revised: 11 November 2025 / Accepted: 13 November 2025 / Published: 15 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Carotenoids and Potential Therapeutic Benefits)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Fucoxanthin (Fx), a marine xanthophyll carotenoid, has attracted considerable scientific attention due to its wide-ranging biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and anticancer effects. Despite its substantial therapeutic potential, the clinical application of Fx and its derivatives remains constrained by their structural complexity, low chemical stability, and limited bioavailability. This review offers a thorough and up-to-date overview of Fx, encompassing its primary natural sources, the metabolic biotransformation to fucoxanthinol (FxOH) and amarouciaxanthin A—metabolites whose bioactive properties significantly contribute to the observed in vivo effects—and the molecular mechanisms underlying the biological activities of Fx and its metabolites, with emphasis on their modulation of key intracellular signalling pathways involved in inflammation, lipid metabolism, and cell proliferation. Furthermore, it explores how targeted structural modifications may enhance the pharmacokinetic profiles and expand the therapeutic potential of Fx-based compounds, while highlighting promising strategies for their optimisation. By integrating insights from pharmacology, biochemistry, and synthetic chemistry, this work aims to guide future efforts in the rational design of marine-derived bioactive agents and underscores the value of marine biodiversity in therapeutic innovation.
Keywords: fucoxanthin; metabolites; synthetic derivatives; signalling pathways; SARs fucoxanthin; metabolites; synthetic derivatives; signalling pathways; SARs

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MDPI and ACS Style

Nogueira, P.; Bombarda-Rocha, V.; Tavares-Henriques, R.; Carneiro, M.; Sousa, E.; Gonçalves, J.; Fresco, P. Structure Meets Function: Dissecting Fucoxanthin’s Bioactive Architecture. Mar. Drugs 2025, 23, 440. https://doi.org/10.3390/md23110440

AMA Style

Nogueira P, Bombarda-Rocha V, Tavares-Henriques R, Carneiro M, Sousa E, Gonçalves J, Fresco P. Structure Meets Function: Dissecting Fucoxanthin’s Bioactive Architecture. Marine Drugs. 2025; 23(11):440. https://doi.org/10.3390/md23110440

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nogueira, Patrícia, Victória Bombarda-Rocha, Rita Tavares-Henriques, Mariana Carneiro, Emília Sousa, Jorge Gonçalves, and Paula Fresco. 2025. "Structure Meets Function: Dissecting Fucoxanthin’s Bioactive Architecture" Marine Drugs 23, no. 11: 440. https://doi.org/10.3390/md23110440

APA Style

Nogueira, P., Bombarda-Rocha, V., Tavares-Henriques, R., Carneiro, M., Sousa, E., Gonçalves, J., & Fresco, P. (2025). Structure Meets Function: Dissecting Fucoxanthin’s Bioactive Architecture. Marine Drugs, 23(11), 440. https://doi.org/10.3390/md23110440

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