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Marine Drugs
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Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function and Application, 3rd Edition
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Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function and Application, 3rd Edition

A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine-Derived Ingredients for Drugs, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 6815

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Chang-Feng Chi

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Guest Editor
National and Provincial Joint Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Marine Aquatic Genetic Resources, National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, School of Marine Science and Technology, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China
Interests: marine peptides; structure identification; structure–function relationship; antioxidant activity; cytoprotection; Nrf2 pathway; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory; hypolipidemic activities; hypotensive activity; neuropeptides; cephalopods; neuroendocrine immune regulation; reproductive regulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Bin Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Marine Biomedical Products, School of Food and Pharmacy, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
Interests: marine peptides; structure identification; structure–function relationship; antioxidant activity; cytoprotection; Nrf2 pathway; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory; hypolipidemic activities; hypotensive activity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, peptides generated from various marine organisms have attracted wide attention due to their diverse chemical structures and bioactivities, including antioxidants, immune modulation, angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition, hypotensive, hypolipidemic, antiviral, cytotoxic, neurotoxic, anticoagulant, antifreeze, etc. Moreover, bioactive peptides can serve as additional functional components used in health foods, nutraceuticals, biopreservatives, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

Given the widespread and current interest in this topic, we decided to propose Version 3.0 of this Special Issue with the aim of collecting papers on up-to-date information regarding the preparation, structural identification, activity, functional evaluation, and application of marine bioactive peptides.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Chang-Feng Chi
Prof. Dr. Bin Wang
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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 peptides
  • protein hydrolysate
  • biotechnological production
  • structure identification
  • structural modification
  • bioactivity and function
  • structure–function relationship
  • bioavailability
  • nutritional value
  • functional foods
  • application

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Related Special Issues

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 2637 KB  
Article
Marine Antimicrobial Peptide as a Promising Alternative to Polymyxin B
by Victoria N. Safronova, Vladislav A. Lushpa, Victoria O. Shipunova, Marta V. Volovik, Kira L. Dobrochaeva, Roman N. Kruglikov, Ilia A. Bolosov, Dmitrii E. Dashevskii, Alexey V. Mishin, Oleg V. Batishchev, Olga V. Korobova, Alexander I. Borzilov, Gulsara A. Slashcheva, Igor A. Dyachenko, Eduard V. Bocharov, Pavel V. Panteleev and Tatiana V. Ovchinnikova
Mar. Drugs 2026, 24(5), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/md24050154 - 27 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1022
Abstract
The rise in antimicrobial resistance represents a significant challenge to global health. The reason partially lies in an inappropriate use of conventional antibiotics and the subsequent rapid spread of multidrug-resistant pathogen strains. This emergency requires an urgent search for conceptually new antimicrobial agents. [...] Read more.
The rise in antimicrobial resistance represents a significant challenge to global health. The reason partially lies in an inappropriate use of conventional antibiotics and the subsequent rapid spread of multidrug-resistant pathogen strains. This emergency requires an urgent search for conceptually new antimicrobial agents. A viable alternative to conventional antibiotics is antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are ribosomally synthesized molecules with considerable potential as next-generation anti-infectious therapeutics. Previously, we have reported on the β-hairpin peptide Ap9, an analog of abarenicin from the marine polychaeta Abarenicola pacifica, with potent activity against key Gram-negative pathogens. Here, it is shown that Ap9 acts in a manner resembling polymyxin B, namely via interaction with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and retains its activity against polymyxin-resistant isolates without observed cross-resistance, and causes insignificant damage in cytoplasmic membrane at bactericidal concentrations. NMR spectroscopy reveals that LPS binding induces a conformational rearrangement of Ap9, its dimer formation, and local structural remodeling of the peptide region (residues 8–12) into 310-helix. Bacterial resistance to Ap9 was found to be relatively low with a reduced susceptibility associated with infrequent genetic alterations, such as the mutation in lptD or the deletion in mlaA. Furthermore, Ap9 demonstrates a favorable tolerability, a wider therapeutic window than that of polymyxin B, and a sufficiently long half-life through the systemic use, as well as in vivo efficacy in murine models of Gram-negative infections, including sepsis caused by the mcr-1-harboring Escherichia coli strain. The obtained results point to Ap9 as a promising candidate for further preclinical studies aimed at development of an alternative to polymyxins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function and Application, 3rd Edition)
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22 pages, 16786 KB  
Article
Antioxidant Peptides from Skipjack tuna: Ameliorate Function on Cigarette Smoke Extract-Induced COPD in Cell Model by Targeting Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Apoptosis
by Yu-Hui Zeng, Yang-Yan Jin, Yan Sheng, Chang-Feng Chi and Bin Wang
Mar. Drugs 2026, 24(4), 140; https://doi.org/10.3390/md24040140 - 16 Apr 2026
Viewed by 724
Abstract
Antioxidant peptides show significant activity and can be developed into functional foods for treating chronic diseases. Cigarette smoke components can cause damage or even apoptosis of lung cells, eventually leading to chronic lung diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the protective effects [...] Read more.
Antioxidant peptides show significant activity and can be developed into functional foods for treating chronic diseases. Cigarette smoke components can cause damage or even apoptosis of lung cells, eventually leading to chronic lung diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of Skipjack tuna peptides against in vitro cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The results demonstrated that tuna peptides DVGRG (S1), PHPR (S5), GRVPR (S6), and SVTEV (S7) significantly enhanced the activities of SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px by upregulating the mRNA transcription levels of Keap1 and Nrf2, consequently reducing ROS and MDA levels in CSE-induced COPD model of MLE-12 cells. Molecular docking analysis revealed that S1, S6, and S7 competitively inhibited the Keap1-Nrf2 interaction by binding to the Kelch domain of Keap1, whereas S5 operated through a non-competitive mechanism. These peptides also downregulated p65 mRNA expression and upregulated IκBα mRNA expression, leading to a significant reduction in inflammatory cytokines of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, thereby alleviating inflammatory responses. Furthermore, these peptides significantly inhibited CSE-induced apoptosis by restoring mitochondrial membrane potential and upregulating the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Additionally, S1, S5, S6, and S7 promoted MLE-12 cell migration in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting a role in lung epithelial repair and regeneration. In conclusion, tuna peptides S1, S5, S6, and S7 exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and cell migration-promoting effects through the regulation of the Keap1/Nrf2 and NF-κB signaling pathways, as well as Bcl-2/Bax apoptotic balance, providing a promising strategy for mitigating CSE-induced lung injury. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function and Application, 3rd Edition)
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Review

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25 pages, 780 KB  
Review
Marine Bioactive Peptides for Colorectal Cancer Therapy: Mechanisms, Therapeutic Potential, and Translational Challenges
by Yueyang Lu, Guixiao Wang, Mei Zhou, Tianbao Chen and Zhimin Fan
Mar. Drugs 2026, 24(5), 170; https://doi.org/10.3390/md24050170 - 9 May 2026
Viewed by 693
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal malignancies worldwide and remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality. Although current treatment strategies, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapies, have improved patient outcomes, their effectiveness is frequently limited by multidrug resistance, [...] Read more.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal malignancies worldwide and remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality. Although current treatment strategies, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapies, have improved patient outcomes, their effectiveness is frequently limited by multidrug resistance, severe adverse effects, tumour recurrence, and restricted patient applicability. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic agents with improved efficacy and reduced toxicity. Marine bioactive peptides have emerged as promising candidates for CRC therapy because of their remarkable structural diversity, unique evolutionary adaptations, and broad spectrum of biological activities. Numerous marine-derived peptides exhibit potent anti-CRC effects by inducing apoptosis, regulating cell-cycle progression, suppressing invasion and metastasis, inhibiting angiogenesis, and modulating the tumour microenvironment while generally demonstrating low toxicity toward normal cells. Despite these advantages, the clinical translation of marine peptides remains constrained by several challenges, including poor stability, rapid enzymatic degradation, limited bioavailability, difficulties in large-scale production, insufficient target characterization, and a lack of long-term safety evaluation. Recent advances in peptide engineering and pharmaceutical technology have significantly accelerated progress in this field. Strategies such as structural modification, cyclization, nanoformulation, intelligent delivery systems, and artificial intelligence-assisted peptide design have improved peptide stability, targeting efficiency, pharmacokinetic properties, and production feasibility. These technological innovations provide new opportunities to overcome the major limitations associated with marine peptide therapeutics. This review systematically summarizes the sources, structural characteristics, extraction and purification methods, molecular mechanisms, and in vitro and in vivo anti-CRC activities of marine-derived peptides. In addition, the major translational challenges and current technological solutions are critically discussed, with particular emphasis on the integration of multidisciplinary approaches for the development of next-generation marine peptide-based therapeutics for colorectal cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function and Application, 3rd Edition)
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23 pages, 846 KB  
Review
Multifaceted Marine Peptides and Their Therapeutic Potential
by Svetlana V. Guryanova and Tatiana V. Ovchinnikova
Mar. Drugs 2025, 23(7), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/md23070288 - 15 Jul 2025
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3716
Abstract
Marine peptides, derived from a great number of aquatic organisms, exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities that hold a significant therapeutic potential. This article reviews the multifaceted roles of marine peptides, focusing on their antibacterial, antibiofilm, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, cytotoxic, anticancer, immunomodulatory, [...] Read more.
Marine peptides, derived from a great number of aquatic organisms, exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities that hold a significant therapeutic potential. This article reviews the multifaceted roles of marine peptides, focusing on their antibacterial, antibiofilm, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, cytotoxic, anticancer, immunomodulatory, chemotactic, opsonizing, anti-inflammatory, antiaging, skin-protective, and wound-healing properties. By elucidating mechanisms of their action and highlighting key research findings, this review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of possible therapeutic applications of marine peptides, underscoring their importance in developing novel drugs as well as in cosmetology, food industry, aquatic and agriculture biotechnology. Further investigations are essential to harness their therapeutic potential and should focus on detailed mechanism studies, large-scale production, and clinical evaluations with a view to confirm their efficacy and safety and translate these findings into practical applications. It is also important to investigate the potential synergistic effects of marine peptide combinations with existing medicines to enhance their efficacy. Challenges include the sustainable sourcing of marine peptides, and therefore an environmental impact of harvesting marine organisms must be considered as well. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function and Application, 3rd Edition)
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