Marine Natural Compounds: Biotechnological Potential and Pharmacological Targets

Dear Colleagues,

Oceans are a source of key resources for human health and well-being, including food, oxygen, livelihoods, blue spaces, and medicines. Marine organisms are an inexhaustible source of natural compounds that are promising for the development of pharmaceuticals or food additives. More than 99% of the studied marine natural compounds are new and have no analogues among terrestrial plants and animals.

The spectrum of biological activity demonstrated by metabolites of marine origin is extremely wide: they exhibit antitumor, cancer-preventive, analgesic, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, and other effects. The probability of isolating new, highly active substances from marine organisms that can be used to create pharmaceuticals for human and veterinary medicine and the corresponding technologies for their use is quite high. On the other hand, the global demand for proteins necessary for adequate human nutrition is expected to double by 2050, largely due to population growth and changing dietary habits. The growing global demand for proteins cannot be met by animal products alone, so researchers have started looking for new alternative proteins, including those of marine origin.

In addition to the obvious protein sources such as fish, crabs, and shellfish, scientists are currently working hard to develop technologies for obtaining bioactive and nutritious compounds from other alternative sources that can be quickly reproduced. One such source is, for example, microalgae. Microalgae can be not only a source of protein for providing complete nutrition but also a source of bioactive molecules such as peptides, vitamins, and antioxidant compounds. I invite researchers who are developing technologies for obtaining bioactive compounds from marine organisms, including animals, algae, plants, and microorganisms, and who are studying the properties and application of bioactive compounds from the sea, including as future drugs, to take part in my Special Issue. The focus of this Special Issue will also be on studying the structure and properties of marine natural compounds, both new and already known, with the aim of identifying their possible pharmacological targets.

Dr. Elena Leychenko
Guest Editor

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