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Marine Drugs
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Diversity of Marine Fungi as a Source of Bioactive Natural...
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Diversity of Marine Fungi as a Source of Bioactive Natural Products, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397). This special issue belongs to the section "Structural Studies on Marine Natural Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 7325

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Dehai Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
Interests: marine natural products; drug discovery; biosynthesis; medicinal chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Following the success of this Special Issue, titled “Diversity of Marine Fungi as a Source of Bioactive Natural Products” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/marinedrugs/special_issues/6B6Z19CQ23), we are delighted to announce the second edition on this publication.

Bioactive metabolites sourced from marine-derived fungi are known to be an important source used in drug discovery. Natural product scientists have explored various environments, such as deep oceans, polar regions, and marine mangrove ecosystems, to discover unique fungi strains that have the ability to produce new bioactive structures.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the diversity of fungi derived from different marine environments, as well as their potential as producers of bioactive marine natural products. Innovative scientific results, as well as related approaches and methodologies applied in marine natural product discovery areas, are encouraged. Studies of the biosynthesis and bioactivities of marine natural products are also welcome.

For the second edition of our Special Issue, we invite academic and industry experts to submit reviews and original research articles highlighting the use of diversified marine fungi as a source of bioactive natural products.

Prof. Dr. Dehai Li
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 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

  • marine fungus
  • bioactivity
  • natural products
  • biosynthesis
  • cytotoxicity
  • antimicrobial activity
  • deep sea

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3422 KiB  
Article
Dihydrogeodin from Fennellia flavipes Modulates Platelet Aggregation via Downregulation of Calcium Signaling, αIIbβ3 Integrins, MAPK, and PI3K/Akt Pathways
by Abdul Wahab Akram, Dae-Cheol Choi, Hyung-Kyu Chae, Sung Dae Kim, Dongmi Kwak, Bong-Sik Yun and Man Hee Rhee
Mar. Drugs 2025, 23(5), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/md23050212 - 17 May 2025
Viewed by 240
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, frequently arising from platelet hyperactivation and subsequent thrombus formation. Although conventional antiplatelet therapies are available, challenges, such as drug resistance and bleeding complications, require the development of novel agents. In this study, [...] Read more.
Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, frequently arising from platelet hyperactivation and subsequent thrombus formation. Although conventional antiplatelet therapies are available, challenges, such as drug resistance and bleeding complications, require the development of novel agents. In this study, dihydrogeodin (DHG) was isolated from Fennellia flavipes and evaluated using platelets derived from Sprague–Dawley rats. Platelet aggregation induced by collagen, adenosine diphosphate, or thrombin was assessed by light transmission aggregometry; DHG significantly reduced aggregation in a dose-dependent manner. Further assays demonstrated that DHG suppressed intracellular calcium mobilization, adenosine triphosphate release, and integrin αIIbβ3-dependent fibrinogen binding, thereby impairing clot retraction. Western blot analysis revealed that DHG reduced the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (ERK, JNK, p38) and PI3K/Akt, indicating inhibition across multiple platelet-signaling pathways. Additionally, SwissADME-assisted pharmacokinetics predicted favorable properties without violations of the Lipinski (Pfizer) filter, Muegge (Bayer) filter, Ghose filter, Veber filter, and Egan filter, and network pharmacology revealed inhibition of calcium and MAPK pathways. These results highlight the potential of DHG as a novel antiplatelet agent with broad-spectrum activity and promising drug-like characteristics. Further studies are warranted to assess its therapeutic window, safety profile, and potential for synergistic use with existing antiplatelet drugs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Marine Fungi as a Source of Bioactive Natural Products, 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 2587 KiB  
Article
New Polyketides from a Marine Sponge-Derived Fungus, Neopestalotiopsis sp., with Anti-Renal Fibrosis Activity
by Xinlong Li, Jianglian She, Meiqun Cai, Xinqi Chen, Rongxiang Qiu, Xiaowei Luo, Yonghong Liu, Xuefeng Zhou and Lan Tang
Mar. Drugs 2025, 23(4), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/md23040148 - 29 Mar 2025
Viewed by 493
Abstract
Sixteen polyketides, including six new compounds (1–2, and 5–8), were isolated from the culture of the marine sponge-associated fungus Neopestalotiopsis sp. SCSIO 41422. Their structures were elucidated through NMR, MS spectroscopic analyses, calculated electronic circular dichroism, [...] Read more.
Sixteen polyketides, including six new compounds (1–2, and 5–8), were isolated from the culture of the marine sponge-associated fungus Neopestalotiopsis sp. SCSIO 41422. Their structures were elucidated through NMR, MS spectroscopic analyses, calculated electronic circular dichroism, quantum chemical NMR calculations, and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. To screen and evaluate the inhibitory activity of these polyketides in renal fibrosis, a TGF-β1-stimulated HK-2 cell model was used. All tested compounds (1, 5–8, and 11–12) at 10 µM showed obvious anti-fibrotic activity by inhibiting TGF-β1-induced α-SMA expression and extracellular matrix production (collagen I and fibronectin). Among them, gamahorin A (1) was shown to be the most potent and the most promising inhibitor against renal fibrosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Marine Fungi as a Source of Bioactive Natural Products, 2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 1275 KiB  
Article
Bioprospecting Marine Fungi from the Plastisphere: Osteogenic and Antiviral Activities of Fungal Extracts
by Matteo Florio Furno, Vincent Laizé, Irene Arduino, Giang Nam Pham, Federica Spina, Mohamed Mehiri, David Lembo, Paulo J. Gavaia and Giovanna Cristina Varese
Mar. Drugs 2025, 23(3), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/md23030115 - 7 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1043
Abstract
Marine microplastics (MPs) represent a novel ecological niche, populated by fungi with high potential for pharmaceutical discovery. This study explores the bioactivity of fungal strains isolated from MPs in Mediterranean sediments, focusing on their osteogenic and antiviral activities. Crude extracts prepared via solid-state [...] Read more.
Marine microplastics (MPs) represent a novel ecological niche, populated by fungi with high potential for pharmaceutical discovery. This study explores the bioactivity of fungal strains isolated from MPs in Mediterranean sediments, focusing on their osteogenic and antiviral activities. Crude extracts prepared via solid-state and submerged-state fermentation were tested for their effects on extracellular matrix mineralization in vitro and bone growth in zebrafish larvae, and for their activity against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Several extracts exhibited significant mineralogenic and osteogenic activities, with Aspergillus jensenii MUT6581 and Cladosporium halotolerans MUT6558 being the most performing ones. Antiviral assays identified extracts from A. jensenii MUT6581 and Bjerkandera adusta MUT6589 as effective against RSV and HSV-2 at different extents, with no cytotoxic effect. Although chemical profiling of A. jensenii MUT6581 extract led to the isolation of decumbenones A and B, they did not reproduce the observed bioactivities, suggesting the involvement of other active compounds or synergistic effects. These results highlight the plastisphere as a valuable resource for novel bioactive compounds and suggest the need for further fractionation and characterization to identify the molecules responsible for these promising activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Marine Fungi as a Source of Bioactive Natural Products, 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 3063 KiB  
Article
An Investigation of Quorum Sensing Inhibitors against Bacillus cereus in The Endophytic Fungus Pithomyces sacchari of the Laurencia sp.
by Shi-Liang Xiang, Kai-Zhong Xu, Lu-Jun Yin and Ai-Qun Jia
Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(4), 161; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22040161 - 31 Mar 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2541
Abstract
Bacillus cereus, a common food-borne pathogen, forms biofilms and generates virulence factors through a quorum sensing (QS) mechanism. In this study, six compounds (dankasterone A, demethylincisterol A3, zinnimidine, cyclo-(L-Val-L-Pro), cyclo-(L-Ile-L-Pro), and cyclo-(L-Leu-L-Pro)) were isolated from the endophytic fungus Pithomyces sacchari [...] Read more.
Bacillus cereus, a common food-borne pathogen, forms biofilms and generates virulence factors through a quorum sensing (QS) mechanism. In this study, six compounds (dankasterone A, demethylincisterol A3, zinnimidine, cyclo-(L-Val-L-Pro), cyclo-(L-Ile-L-Pro), and cyclo-(L-Leu-L-Pro)) were isolated from the endophytic fungus Pithomyces sacchari of the Laurencia sp. in the South China Sea. Among them, demethylincisterol A3, a sterol derivative, exhibited strong QS inhibitory activity against B. cereus. The QS inhibitory activity of demethylincisterol A3 was evaluated through experiments. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of demethylincisterol A3 against B. cereus was 6.25 μg/mL. At sub-MIC concentrations, it significantly decreased biofilm formation, hindered mobility, and diminished the production of protease and hemolysin activity. Moreover, RT-qPCR results demonstrated that demethylincisterol A3 markedly inhibited the expression of QS-related genes (plcR and papR) in B. cereus. The exposure to demethylincisterol A3 resulted in the downregulation of genes (comER, tasA, rpoN, sinR, codY, nheA, hblD, and cytK) associated with biofilm formation, mobility, and virulence factors. Hence, demethylincisterol A3 is a potentially effective compound in the pipeline of innovative antimicrobial therapies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Marine Fungi as a Source of Bioactive Natural Products, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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56 pages, 41424 KiB  
Review
Marine Fungi Bioactives with Anti-Inflammatory, Antithrombotic and Antioxidant Health-Promoting Properties Against Inflammation-Related Chronic Diseases
by Maria-Aliki Papikinou, Konstantinos Pavlidis, Paschalis Cholidis, Dimitrios Kranas, Theodora Adamantidi, Chryssa Anastasiadou and Alexandros Tsoupras
Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(11), 520; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22110520 - 18 Nov 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2351
Abstract
Fungi play a fundamental role in the marine environment, being promising producers of bioactive molecules in the pharmacological and industrial fields, which have demonstrated potential health benefits against cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. This review pertains to the analysis of the lipid compositions [...] Read more.
Fungi play a fundamental role in the marine environment, being promising producers of bioactive molecules in the pharmacological and industrial fields, which have demonstrated potential health benefits against cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. This review pertains to the analysis of the lipid compositions across various species of marine fungi and their constantly discovered substances, as well as their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antithrombotic effects. The health-promoting aspects of these microorganisms will be explored, through the investigation of several mechanisms of action and interference of their bioactives in biochemical pathways. Despite exceptional results in this field, the potential of marine microorganisms remains largely unexplored due to the limited number of specialists in marine microbiology and mycology, a relatively recent science with significant contributions and potential in biodiversity and biotechnology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Marine Fungi as a Source of Bioactive Natural Products, 2nd Edition)
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