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Marine Drugs, Volume 24, Issue 6

2026 June - 35 articles

Cover Story: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal human malignancies and urgently requires new therapeutic strategies. Marine natural products continue to provide structurally unique scaffolds for anticancer drug discovery. In this study, we investigated barettin, a brominated diketopiperazine alkaloid isolated from the marine sponge Geodia barretti for activity against PDAC. Barettin selectively inhibited proliferation in a subset of PDAC cell lines whilst previously displaying minimal toxicity toward non-malignant cells. Biochemical and computational analyses identified topoisomerase IIα as a molecular target, with barettin inhibiting enzyme-mediated DNA decatenation. These findings establish barettin as a marine-derived topoisomerase IIα inhibitor and a promising lead scaffold for pancreatic cancer drug discovery. View this paper
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Articles (35)

  • Review
  • Open Access
1,163 Views
17 Pages

Laurinterol, the Main Smart Secondary Metabolite Among Lauranes and Cyclolauranes

  • Sara García-Davis,
  • Ana R. Díaz-Marrero and
  • José J. Fernández

22 June 2026

Laurinterol, a halogenated sesquiterpene produced by red algae of the genus Laurencia, is one of the most characteristic compounds within the laurane and cyclolaurane families. This review compiles and examines current knowledge on laurinterol, integ...

(This article belongs to the Section Marine Chemoecology for Drug Discovery)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,449 Views
22 Pages

Red Light Enhances Biomass and Bioactive Compounds Through Photosynthetic Acclimation in Anabaena variabilis

  • Carol Ostojic,
  • María Robles,
  • Lidia Martín-Gordillo,
  • David Fernández,
  • Riccardo Gava and
  • Carlos Vílchez

19 June 2026

Light irradiance and spectral quality are key environmental factors that influence the growth, photosynthetic performance, and metabolic responses of cyanobacteria. In this study, the effects of increasing white and PAR-red light irradiances on Anaba...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Gold: Microalgae as a Sustainable Source of Nutrients and Bioactive Compounds)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,931 Views
20 Pages

Seaweed-Derived Extract Targets Porphyr’ageing to Modulate the Visible Signs of Aging in Human Skin

  • Morgane De Tollenaere,
  • Marie Meunier,
  • Emilie Chapuis,
  • Marine Bracq,
  • Cyrille Jarrin,
  • Perrine Lemagnen,
  • Patrick Robe,
  • Laura Lapierre,
  • Jean Tiguemounine and
  • Romain Reynaud
  • + 7 authors

18 June 2026

Recent evidence suggests that microbiota-derived porphyrins contribute to skin aging, a phenomenon termed porphyr’aging. These pro-inflammatory molecules alter the expression of genes involved in senescence, trigger melanogenesis, and decrease...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine-Derived Compounds to Counteract Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in the Skin)
  • Review
  • Open Access
1,208 Views
32 Pages

The Potential and Prospects of Marine Drugs in Intervening Nerve–Tumor Crosstalk

  • Dan Zhao,
  • Ruiling Xu,
  • Xinyan Xu,
  • Jingxuan Tan,
  • Zhili Zeng,
  • Xirenayi Kanji,
  • Xincan Li,
  • Junchi Hu,
  • Shuai Wang and
  • Yongjun Dang

17 June 2026

The bidirectional crosstalk between the nervous system and tumors has emerged as a transformative new frontier in both precision oncotherapy and mechanism-driven cancer pain management. Marine natural products with inherent neuroactive properties exh...

(This article belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)
  • Article
  • Open Access
911 Views
12 Pages

17 June 2026

Marine-derived microorganisms are a rich source of structurally diverse natural products with significant pharmaceutical potential. In this study, three new cyclic lipopeptides, amylimycins A–C (1–3), were isolated from a marine-derived B...

(This article belongs to the Section Structural Studies on Marine Natural Products)
  • Review
  • Open Access
941 Views
31 Pages

3D Printing with Marine Gelatin: A Cross-Sector Review of Biomedical, Food, and Health Uses

  • Beril Bayrak,
  • Andrew Cashman,
  • Patrick McGowan,
  • Julie Maguire and
  • Saravana Periaswamy Sivagnanam

16 June 2026

Gelatin is a valuable hydrocolloid produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen from mainly mammalian and fish sources. The rheological properties of fish gelatin differ from those of mammalian species in terms of gel strength, viscosity, and other rhe...

(This article belongs to the Section Marine-Derived Ingredients for Drugs, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,048 Views
22 Pages

Marine-Derived Fucoidan Modulates Pathways Associated with Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Cellular and Zebrafish Models

  • Haqdil Hakeem Shad,
  • Philipp Dörschmann,
  • Samira Laura Hautmann,
  • Johann Roider and
  • Alexa Klettner

16 June 2026

Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide, is known for its beneficial bioactive effects, for example antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vascular modulatory effects. Such a bioactive compound may also be useful for treating neurodegenerative diseases like...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine-Derived Bioactive Compounds with Potential Applications for Retinal Health)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,029 Views
25 Pages

15 June 2026

LY104 (previously designated as B7) is a selective phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor with promising activity against chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We previously reported its single-dose pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution in rats. In the pr...

(This article belongs to the Section Marine-Derived Ingredients for Drugs, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals)
  • Article
  • Open Access
646 Views
12 Pages

New Cytotoxic Anthraquinone Derivatives from a Deep-Sea-Derived Aspergillus sp. SCSIO 41331

  • Ziyi Wu,
  • Zehan Zheng,
  • Weimao Zhong,
  • Qianting Jiang,
  • Mengjing Cong,
  • Haozhe Zhang,
  • Fazuo Wang,
  • Yonghong Liu,
  • Hailiang Hu and
  • Junfeng Wang

15 June 2026

Two new anthraquinone derivatives, (±)-1′-O-methyl-6-chloroaverantin (1a and 1b) and 6-chloroaverythrin (2), and one new diphenyl ether 1-((E)-but-2-en-2-yl)-3,8-dihydroxy-6-((E)-4-hydroxybut-2-en-2-yl)-4,9-dimethyl-11H-dibenzo[b,e][1,4]...

(This article belongs to the Section Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,177 Views
17 Pages

Ascophyllan Supplementation Is Safe and Associated with Exploratory Modulation of Innate Immune Phenotypes, Biochemical Parameters, and the Gut Microbiome in a Randomized Pilot Trial

  • Shohei Mizuno,
  • Jorge Luis Espinoza,
  • Lam Quang Vu,
  • Hirona Banno,
  • Yusuke Iida,
  • Saki Shinohara,
  • Do Tung Dac,
  • Yuya Nakagami,
  • Kaori Uchino and
  • Akiyoshi Takami
  • + 7 authors

15 June 2026

Background: Ascophyllan, a sulfated polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweed, has shown immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects in preclinical studies, yet human clinical evidence remains scarce. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Peptides: Structure, Function, and Therapeutic Potential, 5th Edition)
  • Editorial
  • Open Access
1 Citations
760 Views
4 Pages

15 June 2026

Marine organisms represent an extraordinary source of chemically diverse natural products that confer key adaptive advantages, such as antimicrobial defense and communication within complex ecological networks [...]

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Molecules from Extreme Environments III)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,097 Views
11 Pages

14 June 2026

Chemical analysis of the marine-derived Saccharopolyspora sp. PG10 led to the isolation of a novel macrolactam, cebulactam A3 (1), along with four known congeners, cebulactams A1 and A2 (2 and 3) and shengliangmycins B and D (4 and 5). The structure...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bio-Resources for Chemical Discovery: Metabolomics and NMR-Based Structural Elucidation)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
667 Views
15 Pages

Low-Level Domoic Acid Exposure Induces Age-like Cardiomyopathy in Young Adult and Aged Mice

  • Sophia Liu,
  • Alicia Hendrix,
  • James MacDonald,
  • Theo Bammler,
  • Kathi A. Lefebvre and
  • David J. Marcinek

13 June 2026

Domoic acid (DA) is a well-known seafood toxin produced by some species of marine phytoplankton in the genus Pseudo-nitzschia during harmful algal blooms (HABs). Acute toxic exposures induce overt clinical signs of neuroexcitotoxicity, such as seizur...

(This article belongs to the Section Marine Toxins)
  • Article
  • Open Access
2 Citations
1,027 Views
17 Pages

12 June 2026

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease characterized by persistent low-grade inflammation and progressive cartilage destruction. Macrophage-driven inflammatory responses contribute to extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and ac...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Agents, 5th Edition)
  • Review
  • Open Access
2 Citations
1,329 Views
29 Pages

11 June 2026

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major global health burden characterized by insulin resistance, progressive pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, and chronic metabolic dysregulation. Marine seaweeds have emerged as a valuable source of bioactive n...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine-Derived Compounds in Metabolic Regulation and Chronic Disease)
  • Review
  • Open Access
2,736 Views
28 Pages

10 June 2026

Non-indigenous or alien macroalgae are increasingly recognized as ecological threats, sources of raw material, and reservoirs of bioactive compounds for industry and agriculture. This review analyses the valorization potential of this biomass, focusi...

(This article belongs to the Section Marine-Derived Ingredients for Drugs, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals)
  • Article
  • Open Access
2,520 Views
19 Pages

New Bicyclic Sesquiterpene and Labdane Diterpenes from the Culture Extract of the Sea Grass-Derived Fungus Penicillium verruculosum KUFA1509

  • Diana I. C. Pinho,
  • Tida Dethoup,
  • Ruchiluk Rattarom,
  • Emília Sousa,
  • Salar Hafez-Ghoran,
  • Artur M. S. Silva,
  • Luís Gales and
  • Anake Kijjoa

10 June 2026

An unreported bicyclic sesquiterpene acid, verruculosic acid (1), was isolated together with the previously reported labdane diterpenes, (+)-agathic acid (2a) and hypoxyterpenoid A (2b), one 3-nor-2,3-seco-labdane, penioxalicin (3), and 5-carboxyphth...

  • Systematic Review
  • Open Access
1,640 Views
29 Pages

10 June 2026

Canned fish products enable long-term preservation of fish, a vital source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Despite research on lipid composition, gaps remain in understanding the bidirectional fatty acid (FA) exchange b...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Marine-Derived Functional Foods)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
915 Views
19 Pages

Gastrointestinal Fate and Receptor-Mediated Mechanism of GPSGPQGSR, an Intestinal Barrier-Protective Collagen Peptide from ALASKA Pollock Skin

  • Qianru Chen,
  • Zheng Zhao,
  • Fengwu Wang,
  • Tiejun Chen,
  • Ting Ding,
  • Jingyuan Li,
  • Zhuang Yao,
  • Yang Deng and
  • Ying Wang

8 June 2026

Marine-derived collagen peptides exhibit potent intestinal barrier protection; however, their gastrointestinal fate and molecular targets remain unclear, limiting their practical applications. This study investigated the digestive stability and trans...

(This article belongs to the Section Marine-Derived Ingredients for Drugs, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,033 Views
16 Pages

Three Sulfated Triterpene Glycosides from the Sea Cucumber Psolus phantapus—Biological Activity Against Human Cancer Cell Lines

  • Alexandra S. Silchenko,
  • Ekaterina A. Chingizova,
  • Ekaterina S. Menchinskaya,
  • Kseniya M. Tabakmakher,
  • Anatoly I. Kalinovsky,
  • Sergey A. Avilov,
  • Roman S. Popov,
  • Vadim G. Stepanov and
  • Vladimir I. Kalinin

8 June 2026

The glycosidic composition of Psolus phantapus was studied for the first time. Two new glycosides, phantapusosides A (1) and B (2), and the known psolusoside P (3) were isolated and their structures were established by analysis of 1H, 13C NMR, 1D TOC...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biomaterials and Active Compounds from Sea Cucumbers)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,665 Views
12 Pages

Barettin Suppresses Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Proliferation via Topoisomerase IIα Inhibition

  • Caleb A. Seekins,
  • Monique R. Archuleta,
  • Alexandria E. Evans,
  • Julia Podgorski,
  • Jerry E. Carr,
  • Vishal Kaleeswaran,
  • Kayla B. Nguyen,
  • Matthew E. Flowers,
  • Christopher Hulme and
  • Christopher Cartmell
  • + 4 authors

7 June 2026

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a highly lethal malignancy with few therapeutic options. Topoisomerase IIα (TOPO2α) is frequently overexpressed in PDAC and is associated with poor clinical outcomes, yet current TOPO2&alpha...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine-Derived Agents in Anticancer Targeting and Therapy)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,422 Views
16 Pages

Hemolymph-Mediated Dynamics of Paralytic Shellfish Toxins and Tetrodotoxin in Scallops

  • Ranmaru Matsui,
  • Yuko Cho,
  • Yuta Kudo,
  • Keiichi Konoki,
  • Kazue Nagasawa and
  • Mari Yotsu-Yamashita

5 June 2026

To investigate the dynamics of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) and tetrodotoxins (TTX) in scallops, PSTs and TTX were analyzed in the hemolymph supernatant (hemolymph-S) and digestive gland in Yesso and Akazara scallops cultured in eastern Japan. I...

(This article belongs to the Section Marine Toxins)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,082 Views
12 Pages

Effect of Algal Lectin Siye on Proliferation and Apoptosis of Breast and Colon Cancer Cells

  • Xiaobo Zhang,
  • Jianfei Ma,
  • Jiahao Ma,
  • Tongli Xu,
  • Xianfeng Ruan,
  • Mengyu Pang,
  • Tian Wang and
  • Lu Wang

4 June 2026

Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins, some of which exhibit significant anti-tumor activity. Siye is a lectin derived from the red alga Kappaphycus alvarezii that was previously discovered using an artificial intelligence-guided genome mining st...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Drug Discovery Powered by AI)
  • Review
  • Open Access
3 Citations
1,595 Views
26 Pages

4 June 2026

Marine macroalgae are widely distributed renewable resources that offer substantial economic and environmental benefits. This review comprehensively examines seaweeds from the phyla Chlorophyta, Heterokontophyta, and Rhodophyta, highlighting key adva...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Extraction of High-Value Compounds in Marine Algae)
  • Review
  • Open Access
1,328 Views
58 Pages

Marine Lipids and Alzheimer’s Disease: Biochemistry, Bioaccessibility/Bioavailability, Metabolism, and Health Effects

  • Ana Gomes-Bispo,
  • Carlos Cardoso,
  • Cláudia Afonso,
  • Helena Maria Lourenço,
  • Sónia Pedro,
  • Patrícia Moniz and
  • Narcisa M. Bandarra

3 June 2026

Due to its high prevalence and significant impact on modern society, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most important neurodegenerative disorders. It is more common among individuals over the age of 65, and its incidence has increased shar...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Value-Added Products from Marine Fishes, 2nd Edition)
  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
1,326 Views
23 Pages

1 June 2026

Trimethyl chitosan (TMC)-coated alginate/dextran sulfate (ADS) nanoparticles were developed as mucoadhesive nanocarriers for oral insulin delivery using a Quality-by-Design strategy. In a first screening step, a two-level factorial design was applied...

(This article belongs to the Section Biomaterials of Marine Origin)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
2,459 Views
11 Pages

Toxicity Profile of the Oceanic Pufferfish Lagocephalus lagocephalus in the Eastern Atlantic Area

  • Nathália Nocchi,
  • Álvaro Santana-Mayor,
  • Adrián Conde-Díaz,
  • Víctor Hernández-Lopez,
  • Adriana Rodríguez Hernández,
  • Alberto Brito,
  • Ana R. Díaz-Marrero and
  • José J. Fernández

1 June 2026

In recent years, the pufferfish Lagocephalus lagocephalus has been recorded with unusual frequency in coastal areas of the Canary Islands. The most notable episodes occurred in March and November 2017, when numerous shoals were observed along the coa...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A ‘One-Health Focus’ on Natural Marine Toxins)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,031 Views
17 Pages

Anti-Proliferative Effect on Medulloblastoma of Small Metabolites Derived from Staurosirella pinnata (Bacillariophyta) Exposed to Different Irradiances

  • Saverio Savio,
  • Michela Sodini,
  • Matteo Odorisio,
  • Debora Paris,
  • Antonella Guzzon,
  • Marianna Carbone,
  • Maria Letizia Ciavatta,
  • Carlo Rodolfo and
  • Roberta Congestri

31 May 2026

An isolate of the diatom Staurosirella pinnata is a promising platform for drug discovery due to its ability to produce bioactive metabolites. As previously shown, S. pinnata extracts exhibit bioactivities, with hydrophilic fractions showing selectiv...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Microalgae-Derived Bioactive Compounds: Emerging Applications in Health and Nutrition)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,097 Views
26 Pages

Discovery of New Zosteropenillines from the Seagrass-Derived Fungus Penicillium yezoense KMM 4679 by OSMAC Strategy

  • Elena V. Leshchenko,
  • Gleb V. Borkunov,
  • Alexandr S. Antonov,
  • Ekaterina A. Chingizova,
  • Dmitrii V. Berdyshev,
  • Maria A. Solovova,
  • Roman S. Popov,
  • Ksenia A. Sayankina,
  • Yuliya V. Khudyakova and
  • Anton N. Yurchenko
  • + 5 authors

30 May 2026

Thirteen new decaline polyketides, namely, zosteropenillines T–W (1–4), 8-hydroxypallidopenilline A (5), 13-epi-zosteropenilline P (6), 11-epi-zosteropenilline N (7), 15-hydroxyzosteropenilline M (8), 8-hydroxyzosteropenilline M (9), 11-e...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Secondary Metabolites from Marine Fungi and Actinomycetes)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,059 Views
19 Pages

28 May 2026

Inflammation plays a critical role in host defense and tissue repair; however, excessive or dysregulated inflammatory responses can lead to tissue damage and contribute to the progression of various diseases. Jellyfish-derived peptides have recently...

(This article belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,238 Views
19 Pages

27 May 2026

Floridoside (2-(α-D-galactosyl)glycerol) is a compatible solute synthesized in red algae, known for its antioxidant, immunostimulatory, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. However, the lack of target validation has limited mechanis...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Glycobiology)
  • Review
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,636 Views
24 Pages

Manzamine-A: Unraveling the Chemical and Biological Tapestry of a Marine-Derived Drug Lead

  • Xuan Wang,
  • Hengbo Wang,
  • Yuansai Kang,
  • Xiaojing Tang and
  • Linlin Ma

26 May 2026

Manzamine-A (MA), a complex β-carboline alkaloid isolated from various genera of marine sponges, has attracted significant attention due to its unique structure and broad spectrum of potent biological activities. Despite the therapeutic potentia...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacological Potential of Marine Natural Products, 3rd Edition)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,611 Views
26 Pages

GV-971 Ameliorates Chronic Restraint Stress-Induced Depression-like Phenotypes Accompanied by Reshaping of the Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis

  • Zhuandi He,
  • Yali Nie,
  • Changcai Li,
  • Guangqiang Sun,
  • Wei Zheng,
  • Hongchun Liu,
  • Meiyu Geng,
  • Jingwei Tian and
  • Yu Zhang

24 May 2026

Depression is increasingly linked to microbiota–gut–brain axis dysfunction, yet current monoaminergic antidepressants show limited efficacy. This study investigated the therapeutic potential and underlying mechanisms of GV-971, a marine-d...

(This article belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)
  • Article
  • Open Access
864 Views
18 Pages

23 May 2026

Ether phospholipids from marine organisms represent an understudied class of bioactive lipids with unique structural features. In this study, we isolated, for the first time, an ether phosphatidylserine (ePS) species from the soft coral Sclerophytum ...

(This article belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)
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Mar. Drugs - ISSN 1660-3397