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Special Issue "Novel Applications and Technologies for the Industrial Exploitation of Algal Derived Marine Bioactives as Nutraceuticals or Pharmaceuticals"

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A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 February 2022) | Viewed by 29118

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marco García-Vaquero

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Guest Editor

Section of Food and Nutrition, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
Interests: natural product chemistry; innovative technology; green technology; functional food; pharmaceuticals; antioxidant properties
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Brijesh K. Tiwari

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Guest Editor

Teagasc Food Research Centre, D15 KN3K Dublin, Ireland
Interests: novel technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear colleague,

Active molecules or bioactives (i.e. polysaccharides, fatty acids, proteins, polyphenols, diterpenes, steroids and alkaloids) from algae (seaweed and microalgae) have been widely studied in recent years for multiple pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. Innovative and emerging technologies including but not limited to ultrasounds, microwaves, electric fields, high-pressure, supercritical fluids, ionic fluids and plasma are currently being explored throughout multiple stages during the pre-treatment, extraction, isolation/purification and preservation of biomolecules from algae. This Special Issue will target research papers, reviews, short communications, and perspectives on the use of novel technologies for the pre-treatment, extraction, isolation-purification, characterization and preservation of marine compounds from algae giving also preference to novel research related to algal bioactives with clear and demonstrated industrial applications and focus.

Dr. Marco García-Vaquero
Prof. Dr. Brijesh K. Tiwari
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. 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

nutraceutical
pharmaceuticals
cosmeceuticals
green extraction
innovative technology
emerging technology
purification
food
functional food
nutraceutical
cosmetic
pharmaceutical
ultrasound
microwave
electric field
high-pressure
supercritical fluid
ionic fluid
plasma
isolation
purification
preservation

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

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Open AccessEditorial

Nutraceuticals from Algae: Current View and Prospects from a Research Perspective

Brijesh K. Tiwari

and

Marco Garcia-Vaquero

Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(11), 671; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20110671 - 26 Oct 2022

Viewed by 1006

Abstract

In recent years, algae, both microalgae and macroalgae, have attracted the attention of the scientific community as a source of multiple active molecules or bioactives, including polysaccharides, fatty acids, proteins and peptides, polyphenols, diterpenes, steroids, and alkaloids [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Applications and Technologies for the Industrial Exploitation of Algal Derived Marine Bioactives as Nutraceuticals or Pharmaceuticals)

Research

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Open AccessArticle

Variations in the Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Cystoseira compressa during Seasonal Growth

Martina Čagalj

Danijela Skroza

María del Carmen Razola-Díaz

Vito Verardo

Daniela Bassi

Roberta Frleta

Ivana Generalić Mekinić

Giulia Tabanelli

and

Vida Šimat

Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(1), 64; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20010064 - 11 Jan 2022

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2375

Abstract

The underexplored biodiversity of seaweeds has recently drawn great attention from researchers to find the bioactive compounds that might contribute to the growth of the blue economy. In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of seasonal growth (from May to September) on the in vitro antioxidant (FRAP, DPPH, and ORAC) and antimicrobial effects (MIC and MBC) of Cystoseira compressa collected in the Central Adriatic Sea. Algal compounds were analyzed by UPLC-PDA-ESI-QTOF, and TPC and TTC were determined. Fatty acids, among which oleic acid, palmitoleic acid, and palmitic acid were the dominant compounds in samples. The highest TPC, TTC and FRAP were obtained for June extract, 83.4 ± 4.0 mg GAE/g, 8.8 ± 0.8 mg CE/g and 2.7 ± 0.1 mM TE, respectively. The highest ORAC value of 72.1 ± 1.2 µM TE was obtained for the August samples, and all samples showed extremely high free radical scavenging activity and DPPH inhibition (>80%). The MIC and MBC results showed the best antibacterial activity for the June, July and August samples, when sea temperature was the highest, against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enteritidis. The results show C. compressa as a potential species for the industrial production of nutraceuticals or functional food ingredients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Applications and Technologies for the Industrial Exploitation of Algal Derived Marine Bioactives as Nutraceuticals or Pharmaceuticals)

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Open AccessArticle

Anticancer Effects of New Ceramides Isolated from the Red Sea Red Algae Hypnea musciformis in a Model of Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma: LC-HRMS Analysis Profile and Molecular Modeling

Sameh S. Elhady

Eman S. Habib

Reda F. A. Abdelhameed

Usama Ramadan Abdelmohsen

and

Safwat A. Ahmed

Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(1), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20010063 - 10 Jan 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2010

Abstract

Different classes of phytochemicals were previously isolated from the Red Sea algae Hypnea musciformis as sterols, ketosteroids, fatty acids, and terpenoids. Herein, we report the isolation of three fatty acids—docosanoic acid 4, hexadecenoic acid 5, and alpha hydroxy octadecanoic acid 6—as well as three ceramides—A (1), B (2), and C (3)—with 9-methyl-sphinga-4,8-dienes and phytosphingosine bases. Additionally, different phytochemicals were determined using the liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-HRMS) technique. Ceramides A (1) and B (2) exhibited promising in vitro cytotoxic activity against the human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell line when compared with doxorubicin as a positive control. Further in vivo study and biochemical estimation in a mouse model of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) revealed that both ceramides A (1) and B (2) at doses of 1 and 2 mg/kg, respectively, significantly decreased the tumor size in mice inoculated with EAC cells. The higher dose (2 mg/kg) of ceramide B (2) particularly expressed the most pronounced decrease in serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor -B (VEGF-B) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) markers, as well as the expression levels of the growth factor midkine in tumor tissue relative to the EAC control group. The highest expression of apoptotic factors, p53, Bax, and caspase 3 was observed in the same group that received 2 mg/kg of ceramide B (2). Molecular docking simulations suggested that ceramides A (1) and B (2) could bind in the deep grove between the H2 helix and the Ser240-P250 loop of p53, preventing its interaction with MDM2 and leading to its accumulation. In conclusion, this study reports the cytotoxic, apoptotic, and antiangiogenic effects of ceramides isolated from the Red Sea algae Hypnea musciformis in an experimental model of EAC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Applications and Technologies for the Industrial Exploitation of Algal Derived Marine Bioactives as Nutraceuticals or Pharmaceuticals)

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Open AccessArticle

Comparative Study of Sargassum fusiforme Polysaccharides in Regulating Cecal and Fecal Microbiota of High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice

and

Mar. Drugs 2021, 19(7), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/md19070364 - 24 Jun 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2059

Abstract

Seaweed polysaccharides represent a kind of novel gut microbiota regulator. The advantages and disadvantages of using cecal and fecal microbiota to represent gut microbiota have been discussed, but the regulatory effects of seaweed polysaccharides on cecal and fecal microbiota, which would benefit the study of seaweed polysaccharide-based gut microbiota regulator, have not been compared. Here, the effects of two Sargassum fusiforme polysaccharides prepared by water extraction (SfW) and acid extraction (SfA) on the cecal and fecal microbiota of high-fat diet (HFD) fed mice were investigated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results indicated that 16 weeks of HFD dramatically impaired the homeostasis of both the cecal and fecal microbiota, including the dominant phyla Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria, and genera Coriobacteriaceae, S24-7, and Ruminococcus, but did not affect the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Clostridiales, Oscillospira, and Ruminococcaceae in cecal microbiota and the Simpson’s index of fecal microbiota. Co-treatments with SfW and SfA exacerbated body weight gain and partially reversed HFD-induced alterations of Clostridiales and Ruminococcaceae. Moreover, the administration of SfW and SfA also altered the abundance of genes encoding monosaccharide-transporting ATPase, α-galactosidase, β-fructofuranosidase, and β-glucosidase with the latter showing more significant potency. Our findings revealed the difference of cecal and fecal microbiota in HFD-fed mice and demonstrated that SfW and SfA could more significantly regulate the cecal microbiota and lay important foundations for the study of seaweed polysaccharide-based gut microbiota regulators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Applications and Technologies for the Industrial Exploitation of Algal Derived Marine Bioactives as Nutraceuticals or Pharmaceuticals)

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Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Ultrasound, Microwave, Ultrasound–Microwave, Hydrothermal and High Pressure Assisted Extraction Technologies for the Recovery of Phytochemicals and Antioxidants from Brown Macroalgae

and

Mar. Drugs 2021, 19(6), 309; https://doi.org/10.3390/md19060309 - 27 May 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4707

Abstract

This study aims to explore novel extraction technologies (ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasound–microwave-assisted extraction (UMAE), hydrothermal-assisted extraction (HAE) and high-pressure-assisted extraction (HPAE)) and extraction time post-treatment (0 and 24 h) for the recovery of phytochemicals and associated antioxidant properties from Fucus vesiculosus and Pelvetia canaliculata. When using fixed extraction conditions (solvent: 50% ethanol; extraction time: 10 min; algae/solvent ratio: 1/10) for all the novel technologies, UAE generated extracts with the highest phytochemical contents from both macroalgae. The highest yields of compounds extracted from F. vesiculosus using UAE were: total phenolic content (445.0 ± 4.6 mg gallic acid equivalents/g), total phlorotannin content (362.9 ± 3.7 mg phloroglucinol equivalents/g), total flavonoid content (286.3 ± 7.8 mg quercetin equivalents/g) and total tannin content (189.1 ± 4.4 mg catechin equivalents/g). In the case of the antioxidant activities, the highest DPPH activities were achieved by UAE and UMAE from both macroalgae, while no clear pattern was recorded in the case of FRAP activities. The highest DPPH scavenging activities (112.5 ± 0.7 mg trolox equivalents/g) and FRAP activities (284.8 ± 2.2 mg trolox equivalents/g) were achieved from F. vesiculosus. Following the extraction treatment, an additional storage post-extraction (24 h) did not improve the yields of phytochemicals or antioxidant properties of the extracts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Applications and Technologies for the Industrial Exploitation of Algal Derived Marine Bioactives as Nutraceuticals or Pharmaceuticals)

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Review

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Open AccessReview

Current Status and Perspective on the Use of Viral-Based Vectors in Eukaryotic Microalgae

Omayra C. Bolaños-Martínez

Ganesan Mahendran

Sergio Rosales-Mendoza

and

Sornkanok Vimolmangkang

Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(7), 434; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20070434 - 29 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1974

Abstract

During the last two decades, microalgae have attracted increasing interest, both commercially and scientifically. Commercial potential involves utilizing valuable natural compounds, including carotenoids, polysaccharides, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are widely applicable in food, biofuel, and pharmaceutical industries. Conversely, scientific potential focuses on bioreactors for producing recombinant proteins and developing viable technologies to significantly increase the yield and harvest periods. Here, viral-based vectors and transient expression strategies have significantly contributed to improving plant biotechnology. We present an updated outlook covering microalgal biotechnology for pharmaceutical application, transformation techniques for generating recombinant proteins, and genetic engineering tactics for viral-based vector construction. Challenges in industrial application are also discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Applications and Technologies for the Industrial Exploitation of Algal Derived Marine Bioactives as Nutraceuticals or Pharmaceuticals)

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Open AccessReview

Bioactive Peptides from Algae: Traditional and Novel Generation Strategies, Structure-Function Relationships, and Bioinformatics as Predictive Tools for Bioactivity

and

Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(5), 317; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20050317 - 10 May 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3801

Abstract

Over the last decade, algae have been explored as alternative and sustainable protein sources for a balanced diet and more recently, as a potential source of algal-derived bioactive peptides with potential health benefits. This review will focus on the emerging processes for the generation and isolation of bioactive peptides or cryptides from algae, including: (1) pre-treatments of algae for the extraction of protein by physical and biochemical methods; and (2) methods for the generation of bioactive including enzymatic hydrolysis and other emerging methods. To date, the main biological properties of the peptides identified from algae, including anti-hypertensive, antioxidant and anti-proliferative/cytotoxic effects (for this review, anti-proliferative/cytotoxic will be referred to by the term anti-cancer), assayed in vitro and/or in vivo, will also be summarized emphasizing the structure–function relationship and mechanism of action of these peptides. Moreover, the use of in silico methods, such as quantitative structural activity relationships (QSAR) and molecular docking for the identification of specific peptides of bioactive interest from hydrolysates will be described in detail together with the main challenges and opportunities to exploit algae as a source of bioactive peptides. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Applications and Technologies for the Industrial Exploitation of Algal Derived Marine Bioactives as Nutraceuticals or Pharmaceuticals)

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Open AccessReview

Exploring Marine as a Rich Source of Bioactive Peptides: Challenges and Opportunities from Marine Pharmacology

Ishtiaq Ahmed

Muhammad Asgher

Farooq Sher

Syed Makhdoom Hussain

Nadia Nazish

Navneet Joshi

Ashutosh Sharma

Roberto Parra-Saldívar

Muhammad Bilal

and

Hafiz M. N. Iqbal

Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(3), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20030208 - 13 Mar 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3583

Abstract

This review highlights the underexplored potential and promises of marine bioactive peptides (MBPs) with unique structural, physicochemical, and biological activities to fight against the current and future human pathologies. A particular focus is given to the marine environment as a significant source to obtain or extract high-value MBPs from touched/untouched sources. For instance, marine microorganisms, including microalgae, bacteria, fungi, and marine polysaccharides, are considered prolific sources of amino acids at large, and peptides/polypeptides in particular, with fundamental structural sequence and functional entities of a carboxyl group, amine, hydrogen, and a variety of R groups. Thus, MBPs with tunable features, both structural and functional entities, along with bioactive traits of clinical and therapeutic value, are of ultimate interest to reinforce biomedical settings in the 21st century. On the other front, as the largest biome globally, the marine biome is the so-called “epitome of untouched or underexploited natural resources” and a considerable source with significant potentialities. Therefore, considering their biological and biomedical importance, researchers around the globe are redirecting and/or regaining their interests in valorizing the marine biome-based MBPs. This review focuses on the widespread bioactivities of MBPs, FDA-approved MBPs in the market, sustainable development goals (SDGs), and legislation to valorize marine biome to underlying the impact role of bioactive elements with the related pathways. Finally, a detailed overview of current challenges, conclusions, and future perspectives is also given to satisfy the stimulating demands of the pharmaceutical sector of the modern world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Applications and Technologies for the Industrial Exploitation of Algal Derived Marine Bioactives as Nutraceuticals or Pharmaceuticals)

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Open AccessReview

Application of Microalgal Stress Responses in Industrial Microalgal Production Systems

and

Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20010030 - 26 Dec 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2535

Abstract

Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) has been widely utilized as a tool for developing new biological and phenotypic functions to explore strain improvement for microalgal production. Specifically, ALE has been utilized to evolve strains to better adapt to defined conditions. It has become a new solution to improve the performance of strains in microalgae biotechnology. This review mainly summarizes the key results from recent microalgal ALE studies in industrial production. ALE designed for improving cell growth rate, product yield, environmental tolerance and wastewater treatment is discussed to exploit microalgae in various applications. Further development of ALE is proposed, to provide theoretical support for producing the high value-added products from microalgal production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Applications and Technologies for the Industrial Exploitation of Algal Derived Marine Bioactives as Nutraceuticals or Pharmaceuticals)

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Open AccessReview

Fucosterol of Marine Macroalgae: Bioactivity, Safety and Toxicity on Organism

Maria Dyah Nur Meinita

Dicky Harwanto

Gabriel Tirtawijaya

Bertoka Fajar Surya Perwira Negara

Jae-Hak Sohn

Jin-Soo Kim

and

Jae-Suk Choi

Mar. Drugs 2021, 19(10), 545; https://doi.org/10.3390/md19100545 - 27 Sep 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3450

Abstract

Fucosterol (24-ethylidene cholesterol) is a bioactive compound belonging to the sterol group that can be isolated from marine algae. Fucosterol of marine algae exhibits various biological activities including anti-osteoarthritic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-photoaging, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, anti-neurological, antioxidant, algicidal, anti-obesity, and antimicrobial. Numerous studies on fucosterol, mainly focusing on the quantification and characterization of the chemical structure, bioactivities, and health benefits of fucosterol, have been published. However, there is no comprehensive review on safety and toxicity levels of fucosterol of marine algae. This review aims to discuss the bioactivities, safety, and toxicity of fucosterol comprehensively, which is important for the application and development of fucosterol as a bioactive compound in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries. We used four online databases to search for literature on fucosterol published between 2002 and 2020. We identified, screened, selected, and analyzed the literature using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method and identified 43 studies for review. Despite the potential applications of fucosterol, we identified the need to fill certain related research gaps. Fucosterol exhibited low toxicity in animal cell lines, human cell lines, and animals. However, studies on the safety and toxicity of fucosterol at the clinical stage, which are required before fucosterol is developed for the industry, are lacking. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Applications and Technologies for the Industrial Exploitation of Algal Derived Marine Bioactives as Nutraceuticals or Pharmaceuticals)

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