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Marine Drugs publishes Special Issues to create collections of papers on specific topics, with the aim of building a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions. Special Issues are led by Guest Editors, who are experts on the topic and all Special Issue submissions follow MDPI's standard editorial process. The journal’s Editor-in-Chief and/or designated Editorial Board Member will oversee Guest Editor appointments and Special Issue proposals, checking their content for relevance and ensuring the suitability of the material for the journal. The papers published in a Special Issue will be collected and displayed on a dedicated page of the journal’s website. Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies and Guest Editor responsibilities can be found here. For any inquiries related to a Special Issue, please contact the Editorial Office.

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Marine Biotoxins: Detection, Environmental Behaviour and Toxic Effects

edited by

Jiangbing Qiu

and

Yang Liu

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 917 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine biotoxins; phycotoxins; detection and analysis methods; environmental behaviours; toxicology and risk assessment

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Toxins)

Green Extraction and Biological Evaluation of Marine Microalgae Metabolites

edited by Mariane Bittencourt Fagundes

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 322 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine microalgae; bioactive compounds; biorefinery; sustainable extraction; advanced extraction techniques; pulsed electric field; use of NADES (natural deep eutectic solvents); ultrasound; microwave; bioactivities (antioxidant; anti-inflammatory; for neurological diseases; obesity)

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production)

Bioactive Compounds from Marine Diatoms: Chemical Ecology and Their Biotechnological Potentials

edited by

Giovanna Romano

and

Ida Orefice

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 147 | Submission Open

Keywords: diatoms; chemical ecology; chemical defense; biosynthetic pathway; omics; cultivation; cosmeceuticals; nutraceuticals; functional foods; nutritional supplements

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production)

Marine Antimicrobial Peptides and Antibiotic Resistance: From Oceanic Defense Systems to Translational Applications

edited by Pengfei Cui

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 127 | Submission Open

Keywords: antimicrobial peptides; marine peptides; bioactive compounds; antibiotic resistance; marine microbiology; resistome; peptidomics; host– pathogen interaction; drug discovery; AI-driven peptide discovery; synthetic biology; microbial ecology; peptide engineering; marine genomics; therapeutic peptides; natural product biosynthesis

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine-Derived Ingredients for Drugs, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals)

Boosting Bioactive Substances of Marine Algae: An Omics Perspective

edited by

Chaoyang Hu

and Xiaohui Li

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 106 | Submission Open

Keywords: algae; carotenoids; lipids and fatty acids; vitamins; amino acids; proteins and peptides; phenolics and flavonoids; polysaccharides; sterols; proteomics; transcriptomics; metabolomics; genomics

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production)

Marine Natural Products as Regulators in Cell Signaling Pathway

edited by Faliang An

submission deadline 15 Jan 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 6031 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine-derived natural products; cell signaling pathways; biological activities; pharmacological mechanisms; therapeutic strategies; structure– activity relationship

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)

Marine Bioactive Agents with Anticancer Potential: Discovery and Molecular Mechanisms

edited by Jose Diaz-Chavez

submission deadline 15 Jan 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 5406 | Submission Open

Keywords: anticancer agents; marine natural products; cancer; chemoresistance; tumor relapse; organoids; drug development; models in vitro/in vivo; co-cultures; biological activity

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)

Omics Approaches in Marine Compound Discovery

edited by

Yiguang Zhu

submission deadline 15 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 775 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine natural products; omics technology; high-throughput screening; anti-inflammation; biological products; pharmacology

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)

A ‘One-Health Focus’ on Natural Marine Toxins

edited by Zhijun Tan and Jixing Peng

submission deadline 15 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 198 | Submission Open

Keywords: harmful algae blooming; risk assessment; toxicity; oxidative stress responses; multi-omics analysis; immune defense response; bivalve

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Toxins)

Marine Proteins: Biological Activities and Applications

edited by

Hak Jun Kim

submission deadline 15 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 117 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine proteins; biological activities; biotechnological applications; marine-derived bioactive; marine enzymes; functional foods; pharmaceuticals; cosmeceuticals; protein characterization; sustainable biorefineries

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production)

Advanced Analytical Methods for Marine Natural Product Discovery

edited by

Jinmei Xia

submission deadline 15 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 84 | Submission Open

Keywords: analytical methods; marine natural products; LC-MS; NMR; metabolomics; molecular networking

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)

Omics Technologies and Marine Microbial Natural Product Discovery

edited by

Huayue Li

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 4715 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine; microbial natural products; omics; genomics; metabolomics; biosynthetic; multi-omics; metabolomics; proteomics; transcriptomics; microbiomics; microorganism

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production)

Bioactive Compounds from Challenging Marine Environments

edited by Seulah Lee

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 4639 | Submission Open

Keywords: natural products; extreme marine ecosystems; novel bioactive compounds; marine chemical diversity; structural elucidation

(This special issue belongs to the Section Structural Studies on Marine Natural Products)

Conotoxins: Detection, Classification and Potential Therapeutic Benefits

edited by

David Adams

and Rilei Yu

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4480 | Submission Open

Keywords: conotoxins; peptide therapeutics; targeting receptors; pharmacology; action mechanism; drug discovery; structure activity relationship; binding modes

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Toxins)

Bio-Active Components from Marine Sponge

edited by

Sylvain Petek

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 4240 | Submission Open

Keywords: sponges; isolation; synthesis; bioactivity; anti-cancer; anti-infective; human health; animal health; eco-friendly solution; chemical ecology

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Chemoecology for Drug Discovery)

Marine Omics for Drug Discovery and Development, 2nd Edition

edited by

Min Zhao

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3546 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine genome; omics technology; marine natural products; marine drug discovery; high-throughput screening; computer-aided drug discovery/design; anti-disease; anti-cancer; anti-infectious; anti-inflammation; biological products; pharmacology; clinical outcome; AI-based drug discovery

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production)

Marine-Derived Polymers for Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery Applications

edited by

Zulema Vargas

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 3418 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine polysaccharides; marine proteins and peptides; tissue engineering; drug delivery; biomedical applications; marine-derived polymeric materials: manufacturing techniques for processing: 3D printing; freeze-drying; electrospinning; coating techniques; etc.; functionalization incorporation of new functional groups; composites and hybrid materials (organic/inorganic moieties); design strategies: porous platforms; scaffolds; fibers; capsules; nanoparticles; films; coatings; etc.

(This special issue belongs to the Section Biomaterials of Marine Origin)

Marine Bioactive Compound Discovery Through OSMAC Approach—2nd Edition

edited by

Xiaoling Lu

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 3269 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine microorganisms; secondary metabolites; OSMAC; epigenetic; cryptic; bioactivity

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)

Algae-Powered Skincare: Innovations in Marine-Derived Cosmeceuticals

edited by

Gonçalo Pereira da Rosa

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2033 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine macroalgae; cosmeceuticals; bioactive compounds; skincare; anti-aging; antioxidants; hyperpigmentation; UV protection; sustainable extraction; dermatological applications

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine-Derived Ingredients for Drugs, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals)

Selected Papers from the 2025 Symposium on Marine Microbiology in China

edited by

Xuefeng Zhou

Xinpeng Tian

and

Yunxue Guo

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1791 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine microorganisms; marine natural products; marine toxins; biosynthesis; chemical ecology; marine biotechnology; molecular biology; artificial intelligence

Diversity of Marine Fungi as a Source of Bioactive Natural Products, 3rd Edition

edited by

Dehai Li

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1779 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine fungus; bioactivity; natural products; biosynthesis; cytotoxicity; antimicrobial activity; deep sea

(This special issue belongs to the Section Structural Studies on Marine Natural Products)

Marine Algal Biotechnology and Applications—2nd Edition

edited by

Patrizia Casella

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 667 | Submission Open

Keywords: microalgae; seaweed; alternative protein sources; fatty acids; high-value compounds; biofuels; biomaterials; sustainability; circularity; biotechnologies

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production)

Marine-Derived Bioactive Compounds with Potential Applications for Retinal Health

edited by

Yoko Miura

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 646 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine-derived compounds; retina; retinal pigment epithelium; age-related macular degeneration; antioxidants; anti-inflammatory mechanisms; neuroprotection

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)

Bioprospecting of Marine Microalgae

edited by

Xiaojin Song

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 345 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine microalgae; bioprospecting; biomass valorization; nutraceuticals; applications

Biotechnological Applications of Marine Enzymes, 2nd Edition

edited by

Pasquale De Luca

and

Chiara Lauritano

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 247 | Submission Open

Keywords: enzymes; heterologous expression; marine organisms; omics technologies; genome mining; bioactivity screening; protein structure; biotechnological applications

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production)

Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Compounds in Marine Algae

edited by

Antonio León-Vaz

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 198 | Submission Open

Keywords: antibacterial; antiviral; macroalgae; microalgae; natural products; oxidative stress

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine-Derived Ingredients for Drugs, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals)

Marine Terpenoids 2025

edited by

Wei Cheng

and

Junfeng Wang

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 190 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine terpenoids; separation; synthesis; biosynthesis; bioactivity; structure– activity relationship

(This special issue belongs to the Section Structural Studies on Marine Natural Products)

Research on Marine-Derived Functional Foods

edited by

Constantina Nasopoulou

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 122 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine organisms; omega-3 fatty acids; peptides; antioxidants; anti-inflammatory effect; cardioprotective activity; innovative processing methods; bioavailability; safety; stability

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine-Derived Ingredients for Drugs, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals)

Neuroprotective Effects of the Marine-Derived Compounds

edited by

Yi Zhang

and

Longjian Zhou

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 94 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine neuroprotectants; discovery; structural elucidation; methodology; bioactivities; mechanism of action; behavior; network pharmacology

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)

Marine Polysaccharides with Anticoagulant and Antimicrobial Activity

edited by

Poonam Sharma

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 78 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine polysaccharides; sulfated polysaccharides; anticoagulant activity; antimicrobial activity; antibiofilm features; antiviral agents; antibacterial agents; antiparasitic agents; antifungal agents; co-infections and superinfections

(This special issue belongs to the Section Biomaterials of Marine Origin)

Marine Enzymes in Nutraceuticals and Cosmeceuticals: Functional Innovation from the Ocean

edited by

Yonghui Zhang

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 65 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine enzymes; nutraceuticals; cosmeceuticals; bioactive compounds; enzyme engineering

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine-Derived Ingredients for Drugs, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals)

High-Value-Added Resources Recovered from Marine By-Products

edited by Rong Cao and

Yongqiang Zhao

submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2554 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine by-products; bioactive compounds; marine enzymes; nutraceuticals; peptide isolation; polysaccharide extraction; green extraction technologies; microbial fermentation; marine biomimetics

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production)

Marine Natural Products as Anticancer Agents, 5th Edition

edited by

Celso Alves

and

Marc Diederich

submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2136 | Submission Open

Keywords: anticancer; anti-tumor; immune; molecular targets; co-cultures; 3D culture models; marine natural products; receptors; proteins; molecular modeling; chemical synthesis; immune-modulatory

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)

Marine Biopolymers and Their Applications in Drug Delivery, 2nd Edition

edited by

Leto-Aikaterini Tziveleka

Efstathia Ioannou

and

Vassilios Roussis

submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1553 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine biomaterials; drug delivery; gene delivery; protein delivery; drug targeting; controlled release; hydrogels; particles; fibers; membranes

(This special issue belongs to the Section Biomaterials of Marine Origin)

Marine Natural Products as Enzyme Inhibitors

edited by

Patrizia Diana

submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 87 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine natural products; enzyme inhibitors; marine microorganisms; marine drug target; drug discovery; molecular docking; protein kinase; enzyme altered pathway

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)

Bioactive Specialized Metabolites from Marine Plants

edited by

Sylvia Urban

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 6 articles | Viewed by 13136 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine plants; algae; seaweeds; bioactive; drug discovery; specialized metabolites; isolation

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)

Marine Polysaccharides-Based Biomaterials

edited by

Raul J. Bernardino

and

Clélia Neves Afonso

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 6544 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine polysaccharides; nutraceuticals; bioactive compounds; antioxidants; bioactive carbohydrates; algal polysaccharides; marine natural products; biopolymers; marine biotechnology

(This special issue belongs to the Section Biomaterials of Marine Origin)

Marine Carotenoids: Properties, Health Benefits, and Applications

edited by

Joanna Fiedor

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 3555 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine carotenoids; distribution; biosynthesis; absorption; metabolism; bioavailability; functions; mechanisms of action; antioxidant activity; health effects; reduction in chronic disease risk; anti-cancer; anti-diabetes; anti-inflammatory; anti-obesity; and anti-photoaging activities; clinical; pharmaceutical; nutraceutical; and cosmeceutical applications; extraction; purification; and structure elucidation

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine-Derived Ingredients for Drugs, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals)

Research on Marine Compounds and Inflammation

edited by

Michela Geminiani

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2777 | Submission Open

Keywords: anti-inflammatory compounds; marine bioactive metabolites; inflammation; bioactive secondary metabolites; molecular targets of inflammation; marine algae; inflammatory pathways

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)

Enzyme Inhibitors from Marine Resources, 2nd Edition

edited by Francesc Xavier Avilés and

Isel Pascual Alonso

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2185 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine inhibitors of enzymes; non-peptide and peptide/protein inhibitors; isolation and characterization; structure-function; genomics and proteomics; variety and evolution; biological role; biotechnology; drug screening and discovery; imaging and nano-technology; potential for therapeutics

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)

Marine Carotenoids and Potential Therapeutic Benefits

edited by Micaela Giani

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1869 | Submission Open

Keywords: carotenoid; antioxidant; biomedicine; health; nutraceutical; pigment; pharmacology; oxidative stress; anticancer; metabolism

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production)

Total Synthesis, Semisynthesis and Analogue Synthesis of Bioactive Marine Natural Products

edited by

A. Ganesan

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1540 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine natural products; total synthesis; semisynthesis; biological activity; lead discovery and optimisation; medicinal chemistry

Marine Antioxidants 2025

edited by

Immacolata Castellano

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 961 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine compounds; antioxidants; biosynthesis; marine-inspired products; oxidative stress

Marine Sulfated Polysaccharides and Their Biomedical Applications

edited by

Seung-U Son

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 885 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine sulfated polysaccharide; ulvan; fucoidan; galactan; algae; immunoregulation; anti-cancer; anti-obesity; biomedical application; structural analysis

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)

Marine Genomics and Metabolomics

edited by

Gerardo Della Sala

and

Fortunato Palma Esposito

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 814 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine microorganisms; marine natural products; metabolomics; genomics; heterologous expression; genome mining; biosynthetic gene clusters; mass spectrometry; molecular networking; NMR

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production)

Marine-Derived Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals: Novel Compounds, Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Potential

edited by Jun Yang and

Xianxiang Chen

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 171 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine active compounds; functional foods; nutritional interventions; molecular mechanisms; targeted delivery

(This special issue belongs to the Section Marine-Derived Ingredients for Drugs, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals)

Marine-Derived Compounds to Counteract Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in the Skin

edited by

Sinemyiz Atalay Ekiner

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 168 | Submission Open

Keywords: marine-derived compounds; oxidative stress; inflammation; redox metabolism; skin oxidative stress; skin inflammation; cutaneous inflammatory disease; skin cancer

Marine Compounds as Cosmetic Ingredients

edited by