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Marine Drugs
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Research on Marine-Derived Functional Foods
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Research on Marine-Derived Functional Foods

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 November 2026 | Viewed by 2580

Editor

Dr. Konstantina Nasopoulou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Food Chemistry—Technology and Quality of Animal Origin Food, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of the Environment, University of the Aegean, 81400 Myrina, Greece
Interests: animal food quality and technology; functional marine food; fish lipids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research on marine functional food and processing focuses on exploring, extracting, and utilizing bioactive compounds from marine organisms such as algae, fish, and shellfish. These compounds, including omega-3 fatty acids, peptides, and antioxidants, offer potential health benefits beyond basic nutrition, such as anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective effects. Advanced processing technologies aim to preserve bioactivity, improve bioavailability, and ensure food safety.

This Special Issue invites original research articles and reviews on marine functional foods and their processing. Emphasis is placed on identifying and extracting bioactive compounds from marine sources, along with innovative processing methods that enhance the bioavailability, safety, and stability of marine-derived ingredients.

Dr. Constantina Nasopoulou
Guest Editor

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-anonymized 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 organisms
  • omega-3 fatty acids
  • peptides
  • antioxidants
  • anti-inflammatory effect
  • cardioprotective activity
  • innovative processing methods
  • bioavailability
  • safety
  • stability

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 1367 KB  
Article
Freeze-Drying Blue Crab Roe, Sea Urchin, and Beluga Caviar: Impact on Nutritional, Biochemical, and Sensory Properties
by Antonia Angou, Spyros Didos, Konstantina Tsotsouli, Ioannis S. Boziaris and Anagnostis Argiriou
Mar. Drugs 2026, 24(4), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/md24040135 - 12 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1245
Abstract
The growing demand for clean-label food ingredients drives interest in novel marine flavorings. This study evaluated the physicochemical, antioxidant, volatile (GC-MS), and sensory profiles of freeze-dried powders from blue crab roe (Callinectes sapidus), sea urchin roe (Paracentrotus lividus), and [...] Read more.
The growing demand for clean-label food ingredients drives interest in novel marine flavorings. This study evaluated the physicochemical, antioxidant, volatile (GC-MS), and sensory profiles of freeze-dried powders from blue crab roe (Callinectes sapidus), sea urchin roe (Paracentrotus lividus), and beluga caviar (Huso huso) to assess their culinary potential. Results revealed that sensory quality is governed by the synergy between a matrix’s lipid composition and endogenous antioxidant capacity. Sea urchin powder, possessing a low polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) profile and high carotenoid content, exhibited exceptional oxidative stability, yielding a concentrated marine aldehyde signature and top consumer scores. Blue crab roe demonstrated a robust PUFA matrix buffered by high phenolic content, facilitating controlled lipid peroxidation into desirable savory volatiles (ketones and aldehydes). Conversely, the high-fat, monounsaturated-dominant beluga caviar lacked sufficient antioxidants, leading to lipid degradation, oxidized hydrocarbons, earthy off-flavors, and poor texture. Both crab and caviar powders exhibited favorable Atherosclerosis and Thrombogenicity indices. Ultimately, balancing lipid composition and endogenous antioxidants is crucial for flavor stability, highlighting the commercial and environmental potential of transforming underutilized or invasive species like blue crab into stable, nutrient-dense marine flavoring agents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Marine-Derived Functional Foods)
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Review

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35 pages, 1167 KB  
Review
Salicornia europaea L. as a Marine Bioactive Resource: Phytochemical Profile, Health Mechanisms, and Functional Applications in Precision Nutrition
by José Francisco Tornero-Aguilera, Carlota Valeria Villanueva-Tobaldo, Edgar Simón Sancho-Haro, Mario Muñoz-López, Miguel López-Moreno, Rodrigo Yáñez-Sepúlveda, José Francisco López-Gil and Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez
Mar. Drugs 2026, 24(7), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/md24070229 - 29 Jun 2026
Viewed by 197
Abstract
Marine halophytes are gaining attention as a source of plant-derived bioactive compounds with potential applications across nutraceuticals, functional foods, and preventive nutrition. Among them, Salicornia europaea L. is a coastal succulent whose adaptation to hypersaline environments shapes a distinctive phytochemical profile of pharmacological [...] Read more.
Marine halophytes are gaining attention as a source of plant-derived bioactive compounds with potential applications across nutraceuticals, functional foods, and preventive nutrition. Among them, Salicornia europaea L. is a coastal succulent whose adaptation to hypersaline environments shapes a distinctive phytochemical profile of pharmacological interest. This narrative review integrates current evidence on the bioactive composition, mechanistic activities, and translational relevance of S. europaea and related Salicornia species. Their secondary metabolome includes flavonols, isorhamnetin glycosides, hydroxycinnamic acids, oleanane-type triterpene saponins, fermentable polysaccharides, carotenoids, and a mineral-rich ionic matrix. Reported activities span antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, vascular-protective, anti-adipogenic, glycaemic-modulating, antimicrobial, and microbiome-related effects, mediated through pathways involving NF-κB, PPAR-γ, endothelial nitric oxide signalling, and short-chain fatty acid production. Beyond its individual phytochemical components, the matrix as a whole may also support sodium-reduction strategies in food formulation, providing a complementary nutritional rationale for its incorporation as a functional ingredient. Despite a coherent body of mechanistic and preclinical findings, clinical evidence remains limited, particularly regarding long-term efficacy, dose standardisation, and bioavailability in humans. Future work should prioritise adequately powered intervention trials and standardised characterisation of marine halophyte bioactives to clarify their evidence-based role in functional food development and future precision nutrition applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Marine-Derived Functional Foods)

Other

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29 pages, 1369 KB  
Systematic Review
Systematic Review of Fatty Acid Composition and the Influence of Coating Media on Fatty Acid Profiles in Canned Fish
by Ömer Furkan Kaçar, Okba Hatem, Hüsna Kaya Kaçar and Éva Szabó
Mar. Drugs 2026, 24(6), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/md24060204 - 10 Jun 2026
Viewed by 548
Abstract
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 between fish muscle and coating media during processing and [...] Read more.
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 between fish muscle and coating media during processing and storage. After a systematic literature search across five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library, Cochrane Library), 20 studies were included examining FA profiles across fish species, filling media (vegetable oils, brine, tomato sauce), and storage durations (up to 5 years). Five studies showed that n-3 FAs migrate from fish to the filling medium, enhancing its nutritional value, while fish muscle absorbs FAs from the oil, increasingly resembling the filling medium. The use of n-6 FA-rich oils (sunflower, soybean) lowered the n-3/n-6 ratio in flesh. Conversely, aqueous media (brine) and tomato sauce maintained better ratios. EPA and DHA content generally decreased due to canning and storage, with retention varying by fish species, filling medium, and sterilization method. This review underscores significant FA exchange between fish and filling media, confirming bidirectional lipid interchange during processing. To optimize health benefits, aqueous packing media are recommended to preserve lipid profiles or to consume the covering oil to recover nutrients. Further research is needed on other factors altering FA content in canned fish such as environmental and geographical variables (including catching season), pre-canning preparation and sterilization steps (such as freezing, steaming, and frying), sterilization conditions (time, temperature, F0 value) and lipid oxidation induced by thermal processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Marine-Derived Functional Foods)
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