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Metabolic Regulation Functions and Mechanisms of Marine Bioactive Compounds

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Dr. Nisansala Liyanage

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Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju 690-756, Republic of Korea
Interests: marine bioactive compounds; metabolic regulation; marine natural products; drug discovery; functional foods; nutraceuticals; marine biotechnology; metabolomics; marine algae and bacteria; proteomics; gut microbiome health; inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); natural product chemistry

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Dear Colleagues,

These compounds, derived from many marine species, have a wide variety of biological actions, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and metabolic-regulating properties. Such qualities are essential in tackling current health issues and developing new treatment medicines.

This Special Issue invites contributions that explore the latest advances in the understanding of how marine-derived compounds influence metabolic pathways. We welcome research articles, reviews, and case studies on topics including, but not limited to:

The identification of novel bioactive compounds and their molecular targets;
Mechanistic studies on the metabolic pathways regulated by marine compounds;
Applications of marine bioactive compounds in treating metabolic disorders;
Advances in biotechnological and analytical techniques (e.g., genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) for compound discovery and pathway elucidation.

Submissions that utilize multidisciplinary approaches or innovative methods to uncover therapeutic potentials are especially encouraged. Join us in advancing the field of marine bioactive compounds and their roles in metabolic regulation. We look forward to your valuable contributions.

Dr. Nisansala Liyanage
Guest Editor

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16 pages, 1171 KB

Open AccessArticle

Marine Microalga Tisochrysis lutea F&M-M36 Modulates Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Cholesterol Transport Gene Expression in Association with Selected Early-Stage Metabolic Alterations Under High-Fat Feeding

by Elisabetta Bigagli, Niccolò Meriggi, Mario D’Ambrosio, Natascia Biondi, Liliana Rodolfi, Alberto Niccolai, Gianluca Bartolucci, Marta Menicatti, Carlotta de Filippo and Cristina Luceri

Mar. Drugs 2026, 24(2), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/md24020086 - 21 Feb 2026

Viewed by 712

Abstract

Modulation of the gut microbiota represents a promising approach to counteract diet-induced metabolic alterations, with microalgae emerging as potential interventions. Building on our previous in vivo evidence that dietary supplementation with the marine microalga Tisochrysis lutea F&M-M36 (T. lutea) positively modulates selected metabolic alterations under high-fat feeding, the present study aimed to identify potential associations between these metabolic changes and coordinated modifications of the gut microbiota. Animals were fed normal-fat (NF), high-fat (HF), or HF supplemented with 5% T. lutea (HFTiso) diets for three months. Gut microbial profiles were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing and correlated with plasma lipids, glucose, blood pressure, fecal lipid excretion, and adiponectin levels. T. lutea supplementation was associated with significant modulation of selected metabolic parameters and coherent alterations in gut microbial communities. Multivariate analyses revealed treatment-dependent clustering of metabolic profiles, with HFTiso forming an intermediate group between HF and NF diets. Beta-diversity analyses showed marked treatment-specific shifts, while alpha-diversity remained stable. Linear discriminant analysis identified 31 discriminative genera, with the HFTiso group enriched in taxa associated with fermentative metabolism and lipid-related metabolic pathways including Anaerotruncus, Marvinbryantia, and Eubacterium coprostanoligenes, while the HF group was linked to Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Terrisporobacter. Positive correlations between HFTiso-associated taxa and adiponectin levels were consistent with microbiota-associated metabolic signatures. In parallel, T. lutea supplementation was associated with downregulation of colonic Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1) mRNA expression, a key mediator of intestinal cholesterol uptake. The bioactivity of T. lutea likely reflects its content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, oleic acid, phytosterols, and fucoxanthin; however, whether these components act synergistically or whether specific bioactive compounds are primarily responsible remains to be clarified. Together, these findings indicate that T. lutea supplementation is associated with coordinated changes in gut microbiota composition and transcriptional modulation of the intestinal cholesterol transporter NPC1L1 in the context of selected early-stage metabolic alterations under high-fat feeding. While direct extrapolation to humans remains limited, these results suggest potential translational relevance of T. lutea as a nutraceutical approach targeting early-stage metabolic dysregulation. Future studies will be required to determine the mechanistic contribution of individual bioactive components and to assess whether microbiota- and gene expression-associated changes play a causal role in mediating the observed metabolic outcomes, thereby informing the rational development of T. lutea-derived interventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolic Regulation Functions and Mechanisms of Marine Bioactive Compounds)

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