**About the Editors**

#### **Giuseppina Tommonaro**

Giuseppina Tommonaro is a biologist and has held the permanent position of research scientist since 2008 at the Laboratory of Natural Products, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (CNR), via Campi Flegrei, 34-80078 Pozzuoli, (Na), Italy. Research activities: the chemistry of natural compounds; biological activity assays (antimicrobial, cytotoxicity, AChE inhibition, and antioxidant); marine organisms; sponge- and plant-associated microorganisms; quorum sensing; nutritional capacity evaluation of tomato and new tomato hybrids. She has been involved in several international projects and is the author of more than 90 publications in international, indexed journals.

#### **Annabella Tramice**

Annabella Tramice is an organic chemist and has been a permanent researcher since 2008 at the Biomolecular Chemistry Institute of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), via Campi Flegrei, 34-80078 Pozzuoli, (Na), Italy. She is an expert in the spectroscopic characterization of bioactive molecules from natural sources and the identification, characterization, and use of glycosidase activities from marine and thermophilic micro- and macro-organisms in biocatalytic processes. She has recently been involved in NMR metabolomic studies for the molecular profiling and characterization of pulmonary diseases and the nutraceutical improvement of Italian tomato cultivars. She has been involved in several international projects and is the author of more than 45 publications in international, indexed journals.

## **Preface**

Marine organisms comprise a continuous resource of inestimable molecules with multiple and important activities that could lead to new drug candidates. Many marine-living organisms are soft-bodied and/or sessile, and they have developed a collection of metabolites and strategies through which they can safeguard themselves from external threats. Numerous studies on marine natural products have discovered a multitude of pharmacological activities (anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antitumor, and cytotoxic) as well as their involvement in the cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems.

A modern and conscious exploitation of marine resources allows for the selection of micro- or macro-organisms as a potential source of lipids, used as biofuel, food supplements, antimicrobial bio-compounds, and animal feed, among others, in agreement with the demands of the circular economy. In addition to the major polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids, a variety of fatty acids occur in marine organisms that exhibit growing interest regarding their promising biological activities.

This Special Issue is focused on the recent advances in the field of fatty acids' recovery from marine sources (algae, fungi, microorganisms, fish, and their waste tissues), and their relevance in human health and nutrition will be highlighted.

> **Giuseppina Tommonaro and Annabella Tramice** *Editors*
