Marine Drugs and Anti-Diabetic Type 2

Dear Colleagues,

Metabolic disorders (MetD) are any diseases that disrupt the normal metabolism. They are complex and thought of as a cluster of conditions sustaining a “disorder in energy use and storage” characterized by central obesity, dyslipidemia, high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), hypertriglyceridemia, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. It is estimated that 20–30% of the adult population suffers from MetD. MetD are associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), type 2 diabetes, and a prothrombotic and a pro-inflammatory state. Natural products, obtained from living organisms such as most plants, microbes, and animals, are an incomparable source of molecules for the discovery and generation of new drugs (secondary metabolites) or drug derivatives. Nowadays, ocean habitats are the newest frontier in drug medical research. Since 1969, FDA/EMA have approved eight drugs of marine origin, including important anticancer agents. Lovaza®, obtained by fish oil, is composed of Ω-3-acid ethyl esters (ethyl esters of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)) and is authorized as an adjunct to diet to reduce triglyceride (TG) levels in adult patients with severe (≥500 mg/dL) hypertriglyceridemia (HTG). Different mechanisms of action have been proposed for Ω-3-acid ethyl esters, including inhibition of diacylglycerol acyltransferase, increased plasma lipoprotein lipase activity, decreased hepatic lipogenesis, and increased hepatic β-oxidation.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect research articles investigating the role of marine drugs in the prevention, cure, and palliation of type 2 diabetes. Our ultimate objective is to highlight the efficacy of these drugs, in order to discover the underlying mechanisms of the beneficial effects of marine compounds in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, since their translation to practice via nutritional interventions is still in its infancy.

 Prof. Dr. Patrizia Russo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

• Marine drugs
• Metabolic disorders
• Type 2 diabetes
• Inflammation
• Prevention
• Palliation