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A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2020) | Viewed by 57952

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jun Lu

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Guest Editor

Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Interests: diabetes; obesity; cancer; non-communicalbe diseases; marine natural compounds; fucoidan; seaweed; clams; food chemistry; pharmacology; drug metabolism; pharmacokinetics; pre-clinical pharmacology; natural compound extraction; polyamine metabolism; marine bioactives
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural compounds have long been providing inspiration for medicine and health products. In particular, bioactives from marine products provide ample opportunities for us to develop pharmaceuticals and/or nutraceuticals.

A great deal of efforts have been invested in the extraction, identification, screening and confirmation of bioactives from marine products. Some compounds have been successfully developed into drugs. For example, triterpenoids extracted from sea sponge have become an anticancer drug. Other marine bioactives are being used as health or beauty products in our daily life, such as fucoidan and alginate. Biomolecules from marine products with various bioactivities has become a popular research field that is yielding interesting results every day. Therefore, this ”Bioactives from Marine Products” Special Issue aims to gather the most relevant and new research articles in the field, including but not limited to the chemical and biological extraction, identification, screening and testing of marine bioactives; the pre-clinical and clinical investigation of marine bioactives in either nutrition or medicine; and the development of bioactives into nutraceuticals or pharmaceuticals. We hope to capture the progress and development in this important field. It is also a good chance for scientists who are working in this field to showcase their recent findings and attract the attention of their peers and the wider readership of this journal.

Assoc. Prof. Jun Lu
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. Biomolecules 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 2700 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 products
natural compounds
screening
bioactivity
mechanism of action
extraction and analysis
chemical identification
bioactive extracts and fractions
natural product pharmacology
molecular target
nutraceutical and pharmaceutical development

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 2019 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lipid Profile, Lipoprotein Subfractions, and Fluidity of Membranes in Children and Adolescents with Depressive Disorder: Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in a Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Study

by Barbora Katrenčíková, Magdaléna Vaváková, Iveta Waczulíková, Stanislav Oravec, Iveta Garaiova, Zuzana Nagyová, Nataša Hlaváčová, Zdenka Ďuračková and Jana Trebatická

Biomolecules 2020, 10(10), 1427; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom10101427 - 08 Oct 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3637

Abstract

Depressive disorder (DD) is a psychiatric disorder whose molecular basis is not fully understood. It is assumed that reduced consumption of fish and omega-3 fatty acids (FA) is associated with DD. Other lipids such as total cholesterol (TCH), LDL-, and HDL-cholesterols (LDL-CH, HDL-CH) also play a role in depression. The primary endpoint of the study was the effect of omega-3 FA on the severity of depression in children and adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the secondary endpoint, relationship between depressive disorder symptoms and lipid profile, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol subfractions, Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activities, and erythrocyte membrane fluidity in 58 depressed children and adolescents (calculated by the statistical program on the effect size), as well as the effect of omega-3 FA on the monitored parameters. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), lipid profile by standard biochemical procedures, and LDL- and HDL-subfractions by the Lipoprint system. Basic biochemical parameters including lipid profile were compared with levels in 20 healthy children and were in the physiological range. Improvement of symptoms in the group supplemented with a fish oil emulsion rich in omega-3 FA in contrast to omega-6 FA (emulsion of sunflower oil) has been observed. We are the first to report that omega-3 FAs, but not omega-6 FA, increase large HDL subfractions (anti-atherogenic) after 12 weeks of supplementation and decrease small HDL subfractions (proatherogenic) in depressed children. We found a negative correlation between CDI score and HDL-CH and the large HDL subfraction, but not LDL-CH subfractions. CDI score was not associated with erythrocyte membrane fluidity. Our results suggest that HDL-CH and its subfractions, but not LDL-CH may play a role in the pathophysiology of depressive disorder. The study was registered under ISRCTN81655012. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactives from Marine Products)

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14 pages, 2788 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antikinetoplastid Activity of Indolocarbazoles from Streptomyces sanyensis

by Luis Cartuche, Ines Sifaoui, Atteneri López-Arencibia, Carlos J. Bethencourt-Estrella, Desirée San Nicolás-Hernández, Jacob Lorenzo-Morales, José E. Piñero, Ana R. Díaz-Marrero and José J. Fernández

Biomolecules 2020, 10(4), 657; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom10040657 - 24 Apr 2020

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3658

Abstract

Chagas disease and leishmaniasis are neglected tropical diseases caused by kinetoplastid parasites of Trypanosoma and Leishmania genera that affect poor and remote populations in developing countries. These parasites share similar complex life cycles and modes of infection. It has been demonstrated that the particular group of phosphorylating enzymes, protein kinases (PKs), are essential for the infective mechanisms and for parasite survival. The natural indolocarbazole staurosporine (STS, 1) has been extensively used as a PKC inhibitor and its antiparasitic effects described. In this research, we analyze the antikinetoplastid activities of three indolocarbazole (ICZs) alkaloids of the family of staurosporine STS, 2–4, and the commercial ICZs rebeccamycin (5), K252a (6), K252b (7), K252c (8), and arcyriaflavin A (9) in order to establish a plausive approach to the mode of action and to provide a preliminary qualitative structure–activity analysis. The most active compound was 7-oxostaurosporine (7OSTS, 2) that showed IC₅₀ values of 3.58 ± 1.10; 0.56 ± 0.06 and 1.58 ± 0.52 µM against L. amazonensis; L. donovani and T. cruzi, and a Selectivity Index (CC₅₀/IC₅₀) of 52 against amastigotes of L. amazonensis compared to the J774A.1 cell line of mouse macrophages. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactives from Marine Products)

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10 pages, 1851 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of Novel Analogs of Thieno[2,3-d] Pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones as Selective Inhibitors of Cancer Cell Growth

by Sheng Zhang, Feize Liu, Xueling Hou, Jianguo Cao, Xiling Dai, Junjie Yu and Guozheng Huang

Biomolecules 2019, 9(10), 631; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom9100631 - 21 Oct 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2595

Abstract

New 2,3-disubstituted thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones were synthesized via a one-pot reaction from 2H-thieno[2,3-d] [1,3]oxazine-2,4(1H)-diones, aromatic aldehydes, and benzylamine or 4-hydroxylbezylamine. The obtained compounds were tested in vitro for cancer cell growth inhibition. Compound 19 can inhibit all four types of tested cancer cells, i.e., MCF-7, A549, PC-9, and PC-3 cells. Most of the compounds inhibited the proliferation of A549 and MCF-7 cells. Compound 15 exhibited the strongest anti-proliferative effect against A549 cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 0.94 μM, and with no toxicity to normal human liver cells. Its potency was further proved by cell clone formation assay, Hoechst 33258 staining, and evaluation on the effects of apoptosis-related proteins. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactives from Marine Products)

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16 pages, 3575 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anti-Angiogenic Effect of Asperchalasine A Via Attenuation of VEGF Signaling

by Jun Yeon Park, Young Seok Ji, Hucheng Zhu, Yonghui Zhang, Do Hwi Park, Young-Joo Kim, Hye Hyun Yoo and Ki Sung Kang

Biomolecules 2019, 9(8), 358; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom9080358 - 12 Aug 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3601

Abstract

Cytochalasans are a group of structurally diverse fungal polyketide-amino acid hybrid metabolites that exhibit diverse biological functions. Asperchalasine A was identified and isolated from an extract of the marine-derived fungus, Aspergillus. Asperchalasine A is a cytochalasan dimer which consists of two cytochalasan molecules connected by an epicoccine. This study investigated the potential antiangiogenic effects of Aspergillus extract and asperchalasine A, which significantly inhibited cell adhesion and tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Aspergillus extract and asperchalasine A decreased the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-2 mRNA expression in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, Aspergillus extract and asperchalasine A inhibited angiogenesis via downregulation of VEGF, p-p38, p-extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), p-VEGFR-2, and p-Akt signaling pathways. Moreover, Aspergillus extract and asperchalasine A significantly inhibited the amount of blood vessel formation in fertilized chicken eggs using a chorioallantoic membrane assay. Our results provide experimental evidence of this novel biological activity of the potential antiangiogenic substances, Aspergillus extract, and asperchalasine A. This study also suggests that Aspergillus extract and its active component asperchalasine A are excellent candidates as adjuvant therapeutic substances for cancer prevention and treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactives from Marine Products)

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17 pages, 1847 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Extraction of Cathepsin D-Like Protease from Neon Flying Squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) Viscera and Application in Antioxidant Hydrolysate Production

by Kaiqiang Zhang, Rongbian Wei and Ru Song

Biomolecules 2019, 9(6), 228; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom9060228 - 12 Jun 2019

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3921

Abstract

A protease from neon flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) viscera (SVCE3(f)) was partially purified by isoelectric solubilization/precipitation combined with ultra-membrane filtration (ISP-UMF). Two protein bands of 45 and 27 KDa were determined by SDS-PAGE assay. The protease characteristic of the protein band of 45 KDa was confirmed using casein zymography analysis. The result of UPLC-ESI-MS/MS suggested that the band of 45 KDa could be a cathepsin D-like protease. This cathepsin D-like protease showed an optimum pH of 3.0 and optimum temperature of 60 °C when casein was used as s substrate. Furthermore, its protease activity was stable at 30–50 °C and under a pH range of 1.0–5.0, maintaining about 60% of its initial activity. SVCE3(f) can digest half-fin anchovy (Setipinna taty) to generate antioxidant hydrolysates (HAHp-SEs). The degree of hydrolysis (DH) of HAHp-SEs increased along with the hydrolysis time and reached stability after 60 min of digestion. HAHp-SEs(30) with relatively lower DH exhibited the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity as compared with other HAHp-SEs. However, a stronger hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and greater reducing power were observed for HAHp-SEs that underwent higher DH. Accordingly, the partially purified cathepsin D-like protease of neon flying squid viscera using ISP-UMF could have potential application in antioxidant hydrolysates production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactives from Marine Products)

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8 pages, 1360 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Antiproliferative Effect of Aminoethyl-Chitooligosaccharide on Human Lung A549 Cancer Cells

by Dai Hung Ngo, Dai Nghiep Ngo, Se-Kwon Kim and Thanh Sang Vo

Biomolecules 2019, 9(5), 195; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom9050195 - 18 May 2019

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3105

Abstract

The aminoethyl–chitooligosaccharide (AE-COS) was reported to inhibit human gastric cancer cell proliferation and human fibrosarcoma cell invasion. In this study, the role of AE-COS in down-regulation of proliferation of human lung A549 cancer cells was evaluated. It was found that AE-COS was able to reduce A549 cell proliferation to (32 ± 1.3)% at a concentration of 500 µg/mL. Moreover, AE-COS treatment caused suppression on COX-2 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Notably, the role of AE-COS in induction of cell apoptosis was observed via decreasing Bcl-2 expression and increasing caspase-3 and -9 activation. Accordingly, the antiproliferative effect of AE-COS was indicated due to suppression of cell proliferation and induction of cell apoptosis, suggesting AE-COS as a promising chemotherapy agent for treatment of lung cancer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactives from Marine Products)

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Review

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24 pages, 378 KiB

Open AccessReview

Microalgae: A Promising Source of Valuable Bioproducts

by Vyacheslav Dolganyuk, Daria Belova, Olga Babich, Alexander Prosekov, Svetlana Ivanova, Dmitry Katserov, Nikolai Patyukov and Stanislav Sukhikh

Biomolecules 2020, 10(8), 1153; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom10081153 - 06 Aug 2020

Cited by 110 | Viewed by 10989

Abstract

Microalgae are a group of autotrophic microorganisms that live in marine, freshwater and soil ecosystems and produce organic substances in the process of photosynthesis. Due to their high metabolic flexibility, adaptation to various cultivation conditions as well as the possibility of rapid growth, the number of studies on their use as a source of biologically valuable products is growing rapidly. Currently, integrated technologies for the cultivation of microalgae aiming to isolate various biologically active substances from biomass to increase the profitability of algae production are being sought. To implement this kind of development, the high productivity of industrial cultivation systems must be accompanied by the ability to control the biosynthesis of biologically valuable compounds in conditions of intensive culture growth. The review considers the main factors (temperature, pH, component composition, etc.) that affect the biomass growth process and the biologically active substance synthesis in microalgae. The advantages and disadvantages of existing cultivation methods are outlined. An analysis of various methods for the isolation and overproduction of the main biologically active substances of microalgae (proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, pigments and vitamins) is presented and new technologies and approaches aimed at using microalgae as promising ingredients in value-added products are considered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactives from Marine Products)

27 pages, 2045 KiB

Open AccessReview

Marine-Derived Surface Active Agents: Health-Promoting Properties and Blue Biotechnology-Based Applications

by Ioannis Anestopoulos, Despina-Evgenia Kiousi, Ariel Klavaris, Monica Maijo, Annabel Serpico, Alba Suarez, Guiomar Sanchez, Karina Salek, Stylliani A. Chasapi, Aikaterini A. Zompra, Alex Galanis, Georgios A. Spyroulias, Lourdes Gombau, Stephen R. Euston, Aglaia Pappa and Mihalis I. Panayiotidis

Biomolecules 2020, 10(6), 885; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom10060885 - 09 Jun 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5411

Abstract

Surface active agents are characterized for their capacity to adsorb to fluid and solid-water interfaces. They can be classified as surfactants and emulsifiers based on their molecular weight (MW) and properties. Over the years, the chemical surfactant industry has been rapidly increasing to meet consumer demands. Consequently, such a boost has led to the search for more sustainable and biodegradable alternatives, as chemical surfactants are non-biodegradable, thus causing an adverse effect on the environment. To these ends, many microbial and/or marine-derived molecules have been shown to possess various biological properties that could allow manufacturers to make additional health-promoting claims for their products. Our aim, in this review article, is to provide up to date information of critical health-promoting properties of these molecules and their use in blue-based biotechnology (i.e., biotechnology using aquatic organisms) with a focus on food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical/biomedical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactives from Marine Products)

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43 pages, 1198 KiB

Open AccessReview

From Seabed to Bedside: A Review on Promising Marine Anticancer Compounds

by Edina Wang, Maria Alba Sorolla, Priya Darshini Gopal Krishnan and Anabel Sorolla

Biomolecules 2020, 10(2), 248; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom10020248 - 06 Feb 2020

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 6064

Abstract

The marine environment represents an outstanding source of antitumoral compounds and, at the same time, remains highly unexplored. Organisms living in the sea synthesize a wide variety of chemicals used as defense mechanisms. Interestingly, a large number of these compounds exert excellent antitumoral properties and have been developed as promising anticancer drugs that have later been approved or are currently under validation in clinical trials. However, due to the high need for these compounds, new methodologies ensuring its sustainable supply are required. Also, optimization of marine bioactives is an important step for their success in the clinical setting. Such optimization involves chemical modifications to improve their half-life in circulation, potency and tumor selectivity. In this review, we outline the most promising marine bioactives that have been investigated in cancer models and/or tested in patients as anticancer agents. Moreover, we describe the current state of development of anticancer marine compounds and discuss their therapeutic limitations as well as different strategies used to overcome these limitations. The search for new marine antitumoral agents together with novel identification and chemical engineering approaches open the door for novel, more specific and efficient therapeutic agents for cancer treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactives from Marine Products)

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25 pages, 505 KiB

Open AccessReview

Phenolic Content of Brown Algae (Pheophyceae) Species: Extraction, Identification, and Quantification

by Ivana Generalić Mekinić, Danijela Skroza, Vida Šimat, Imen Hamed, Martina Čagalj and Zvjezdana Popović Perković

Biomolecules 2019, 9(6), 244; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom9060244 - 22 Jun 2019

Cited by 178 | Viewed by 9332

Abstract

Over the last few decades, isolations and chemical characterizations of secondary metabolites with proved biological activities have been of interest for numerous research groups across the world. Phenolics, as one of the largest and most widely distributed group of phytochemicals, have gained special attention due to their pharmacological activity and array of health-promoting benefits. Reports on phenolic potentials of marine algae, especially brown algae (Pheophyceae) that are characterized by the presence of phlorotannins, are still scarce. The aim of this review paper is to provide an overview of current knowledge about phenolic potential of different brown algae species (74 species from 7 different orders). Studies on brown algae phenolics usually involve few species, thus the focus of this review is to provide information about the phenolic potential of reported algae species and to get an insight into some issues related to the applied extraction procedures and determination/quantification methods to facilitate the comparison of results from different studies. The information provided through this review should be useful for the design and interpretation of studies investigating the brown algae as a source of valuable phytochemicals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactives from Marine Products)

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18 pages, 1785 KiB

Open AccessReview

Bioactivities of Halometabolites from Marine Actinobacteria

by Noer Kasanah and Triyanto Triyanto

Biomolecules 2019, 9(6), 225; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom9060225 - 11 Jun 2019

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4574

Abstract

Natural halogenated compounds (halometabolites) are produced mainly by marine organisms, including marine Actinobacteria. Many commercially important compounds for pharmaceuticals contain halogen, and the halogen is responsible for the physical and chemical properties as well as bioactivities and toxicities. In the exploration of marine environment that is supported by advanced structure elucidation, varied panel bioassays and high-throughput screening have accelerated number of halometabolites isolated from marine Actinobacteria to date. The metabolites exhibited unique structures and promising bioactivities. This review focuses on the chemodiversity and bioactivities of marine halometabolites from marine Actinobacteria reported in the last 15 years (2003–2018). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactives from Marine Products)

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