applsci-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Marine-Derived Bioactive Compounds and Marine Biotechnology

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 699

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET—Aquatic Research Network Associated Laboratory, ESTM, Polytechnic of Leiria, 2520-641 Peniche, Portugal
Interests: edible coatings; edible films; seaweeds; natural extracts; biotecnology; marine bioactives; food processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ESTM, Politécnico de Leiria, 2520–614 Peniche, Portugal
Interests: biotechnology; marine resources valorization; food development; natural-based food coatings and films
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine organisms represent an important source of functional compounds, such as polysaccharides, lipids, phenolic compounds, vitamins, and minerals. This diversity implies a myriad of potentially beneficial functions, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, and lipid-lowering properties that can be applied to food technologies such as food processing and conservation and the development of innovative formulations. Nowadays, through marine biotechnology research, biomolecules derived from marine organisms can be studied and commercialized for use in a range of applications in the food industry, including natural-based pigments, food preservatives, nutritional-value supplements in foods, and, more recently, biodegradable packaging. This Special Issue of Applied Sciences will explore the integrative evaluation of marine resources as a sustainable source of food and food technologies to promote better practices along the entire chain, from the raw material to the consumer, with a particular focus on marine-based food preservatives and bio-based technologies that prolong shelf life and increase food quality.

Dr. Ana Augusto
Dr. Susana F. J. Silva
Dr. Marco F. L. Lemos
Dr. Patrícia Valentão
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. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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 microalgae
  • marine macroalgae
  • green extracts
  • biotechnology
  • natural compounds
  • food additives
  • high-value compounds
  • shelf life
  • seafood by-products
  • nutritional profile

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 448 KiB  
Article
Dietary Ethanolamine Plasmalogen from Ascidian Alleviates Chronic Hepatic Injury in Mice Treated with Continuous Acetaminophen
by Ryosuke Sogame, Yuki Tominaga, Momoka Echigoya, Kiyotaka Nakagawa, Michihiro Fukushima, Teruo Miyazawa, Mikio Kinoshita and Shinji Yamashita
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(11), 5968; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15115968 - 26 May 2025
Viewed by 220
Abstract
Background: Ethanolamine plasmalogen (PlsEtn) is a subclass of ethanolamine glycerophospholipids (EtnGpls) and is abundantly found in some marine invertebrates, including ascidian Halocynthia roretzi. PlsEtn is reported to exhibit physiological and nutritional hepatic functions; however, the effects of dietary PlsEtn on continuous acetaminophen [...] Read more.
Background: Ethanolamine plasmalogen (PlsEtn) is a subclass of ethanolamine glycerophospholipids (EtnGpls) and is abundantly found in some marine invertebrates, including ascidian Halocynthia roretzi. PlsEtn is reported to exhibit physiological and nutritional hepatic functions; however, the effects of dietary PlsEtn on continuous acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatic injury, including oxidative stress and impaired lipid metabolism, remain unclear. Herein, we investigated the dietary effects of PlsEtn from ascidian on chronic hepatic injury in APAP-treated mice. Methods: Five-week-old male ICR mice were divided into four groups (n = 12), which were treated with the respective experimental diet for two weeks and then the respective APAP-containing diet for five weeks. The results obtained after administering the PlsEtn-rich diet were compared with those obtained after the administration of a phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn)-rich diet, a major subclass of hepatic EtnGpls. Results: The PlsEtn-rich diet effectively suppressed the APAP-induced decrease in body and liver weights of mice; however, this suppressive effect was not observed in mice fed a PtdEtn-rich diet. APAP administration decreased the total fatty acid content in the liver, whereas a PlsEtn-rich diet alleviated this decrease and increased the hepatic content of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which exhibits various hepatic functions. Moreover, dietary EtnGpl rich in PlsEtn or PtdEtn suppressed APAP-induced lipid oxidation in the liver. The protein expression results revealed that dietary EtnGpls reduced the expression of certain apoptosis-related proteins in the livers of APAP-administered mice compared to that in the APAP group. This reduction was particularly more effective in mice fed the PlsEtn-rich diet than in those on the PtdEtn-rich diet. Conclusions: Dietary EtnGpls, particularly PlsEtn, alleviated the hepatic cellular stress caused by continuous APAP consumption. These beneficial effects may depend on the subclass and may be related to DHA metabolism in the liver. The results of this study contribute to the understanding of the role of PlsEtn in maintaining liver health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine-Derived Bioactive Compounds and Marine Biotechnology)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

27 pages, 362 KiB  
Review
Applications of Bioactive Compounds from Marine Microalgae in Health, Cosmetics, and Functional Foods
by José A. M. Prates
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(11), 6144; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15116144 - 29 May 2025
Viewed by 345
Abstract
Marine microalgae have emerged as promising biofactories for the sustainable production of high-value bioactive compounds with significant applications in human health, cosmetics, and functional foods. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the primary classes of bioactives synthesised by marine microalgae, including polyunsaturated [...] Read more.
Marine microalgae have emerged as promising biofactories for the sustainable production of high-value bioactive compounds with significant applications in human health, cosmetics, and functional foods. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the primary classes of bioactives synthesised by marine microalgae, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, phycobiliproteins, peptides, sterols, polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, vitamins, mycosporine-like amino acids, and alkaloids. These compounds demonstrate diverse biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, immunomodulatory, and photoprotective effects, increasingly validated through in vitro, and clinical studies. Their mechanisms of action and roles in disease prevention and wellness promotion are examined in detail, with an emphasis on pharmaceutical (e.g., cardiovascular, neuroprotective), cosmetic (e.g., anti-ageing, UV protection), and nutraceutical (e.g., metabolic and immune-enhancing) applications. The review also addresses critical challenges in strain selection, cultivation technologies, downstream processing, product standardisation, and regulatory approval. Simultaneously, emerging opportunities driven by synthetic biology, omics integration, and circular biorefinery approaches are transforming marine microalgae into precise platforms for next-generation bioproducts. By summarising current knowledge and future directions, this work underscores the essential role of marine microalgae in advancing the blue bioeconomy and tackling global sustainability challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine-Derived Bioactive Compounds and Marine Biotechnology)
Back to TopTop