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Marine Nutraceuticals and Human Health: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 May 2024) | Viewed by 1500

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Interests: natural compounds; microRNAs; anticancer; marine compounds; mediterranean diet; anti-inflammatory compounds; nutrigenomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
Interests: genomic/transcriptomic; marine biotechnology; metabolites in microalgae; nutraceuticals in fish; acquaculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Seas represent a huge source of biodiversity that can sustainably provide natural compounds useful for human health. Many types of marine chemicals (polyphenols, carotenoids, polysaccharides, PUFAs, sterols, and others) with relevance for human wellbeing have already been discovered. New foods derived from the sea or from aquaculture are an excellent opportunity to provide new functional foods and food supplements for industry. This is particularly interesting when we consider the urgent need for alternative food sources, since future increases in the world population, particularly those over sixty, will need appropriate care for preventing and combating chronic diseases.

In this context, although many marine natural products have already been characterized, many more are yet to be discovered, because the huge biodiversity of marine ecosystems is still largely unexplored.

The present Special Issue aims at collecting contributions describing new functional compounds with possible effects on human health obtained from marine organisms. Furthermore, contributions investigating the mechanisms of action or the pharmacokinetics of known marine molecules are welcome. Clinical studies on the beneficial effects of marine molecules in the prevention or treatment of diseases are also encouraged. Both original studies and up-to-date reviews are welcome.

Dr. Paola Nieri
Dr. Valerio Zupo
Dr. Maria Costantini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

Keywords

  • marine
  • seafood
  • macroalga or seaweed
  • microalga
  • sponge
  • shellfish
  • jellyfish
  • shrimp
  • octopus
  • fish
  • sea urchin

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 902 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Sargassum fusiforme and Fucus vesiculosus on Continuous Glucose Levels in Overweight Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Feasibility Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
by Karlijn A. M. Geurts, Sjoerd Meijer, Jeanine E. Roeters van Lennep, Xi Wang, Behiye Özcan, Gardi Voortman, Hongbing Liu, Manuel Castro Cabezas, Kirsten A. Berk and Monique T. Mulder
Nutrients 2024, 16(12), 1837; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16121837 - 12 Jun 2024
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Abstract
Background: Brown seaweed is promising for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Its bioactive constituents can positively affect plasma glucose homeostasis in healthy humans. We investigated the effect of the brown seaweeds Sargassum (S.) fusiforme and Fucus (F.) vesiculosus in their [...] Read more.
Background: Brown seaweed is promising for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Its bioactive constituents can positively affect plasma glucose homeostasis in healthy humans. We investigated the effect of the brown seaweeds Sargassum (S.) fusiforme and Fucus (F.) vesiculosus in their natural form on glucose regulation in patients with T2DM. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial. Thirty-six participants with T2DM received, on a daily basis, either 5 g of dried S. fusiforme, 5 g of dried F. vesiculosus, or 0.5 g of dried Porphyra (control) for 5 weeks, alongside regular treatment. The primary outcome was the between-group difference in the change in weekly average blood glucose levels (continuous glucose monitoring). The secondary outcomes were the changes in anthropometrics, plasma lipid levels, and dietary intake. The data were analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model. Results: The change in weekly average glucose levels was 8.2 ± 2.1 to 9.0 ± 0.7 mmol/L (p = 0.2) in the S. fusiforme group (n = 12) and 10.1 ± 3.3 to 9.2 ± 0.7 mmol/L (p = 0.9) in the F. vesiculosus group (n = 10). The between-group difference was non-significant. Similarly, no between-group differences were observed for the changes in the secondary outcomes. Discussion: A daily intake of 5 g of fresh, dried S. fusiforme or F. vesiculosus alongside regular treatment had no differential effect on weekly average blood glucose levels in T2DM. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Nutraceuticals and Human Health: 2nd Edition)
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Review

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19 pages, 1935 KiB  
Review
Nutraceutical Features of the Phycobiliprotein C-Phycocyanin: Evidence from Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina)
by Valentina Citi, Serenella Torre, Lorenzo Flori, Luca Usai, Nazlim Aktay, Nurhan Turgut Dunford, Giovanni Antonio Lutzu and Paola Nieri
Nutrients 2024, 16(11), 1752; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16111752 - 3 Jun 2024
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Abstract
Arthrospira platensis, commonly known as Spirulina, is a photosynthetic filamentous cyanobacterium (blue–green microalga) that has been utilized as a food source since ancient times. More recently, it has gained significant popularity as a dietary supplement due to its rich content of [...] Read more.
Arthrospira platensis, commonly known as Spirulina, is a photosynthetic filamentous cyanobacterium (blue–green microalga) that has been utilized as a food source since ancient times. More recently, it has gained significant popularity as a dietary supplement due to its rich content of micro- and macro-nutrients. Of particular interest is a water soluble phycobiliprotein derived from Spirulina known as phycocyanin C (C-PC), which stands out as the most abundant protein in this cyanobacterium. C-PC is a fluorescent protein, with its chromophore represented by the tetrapyrrole molecule phycocyanobilin B (PCB-B). While C-PC is commonly employed in food for its coloring properties, it also serves as the molecular basis for numerous nutraceutical features associated with Spirulina. Indeed, the comprehensive C-PC, and to some extent, the isolated PCB-B, has been linked to various health-promoting effects. These benefits encompass conditions triggered by oxidative stress, inflammation, and other pathological conditions. The present review focuses on the bio-pharmacological properties of these molecules, positioning them as promising agents for potential new applications in the expanding nutraceutical market. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Nutraceuticals and Human Health: 2nd Edition)
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