Topic Review
Marine Collagen
Marine organisms harbor numerous bioactive substances that can be utilized in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Scientific research on various applications of collagen extracted from these organisms has become increasingly prevalent. Marine collagen can be used as a biomaterial because it is water-soluble, metabolically compatible, and highly accessible. 
  • 797
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Macroalgae's Antiviral and Antioxidant Activity
species belonging to the Phaeophyceae and Rhodophceae classes are primarily potent against herpes simplex virus, followed by human immunodeficiency virus and influenza virus.
  • 793
  • 10 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Fiddler Crab
A fiddler crab, sometimes known as a calling crab, may be any of approximately 100 species of semi-terrestrial marine crabs which make up the genus Uca. As members of the family Ocypodidae, fiddler crabs are most closely related to the ghost crabs of the genus Ocypode. This entire group is composed of small crabs – the largest being slightly over two inches (5 cm) across. Fiddler crabs are found along sea beaches and brackish inter-tidal mud flats, lagoons and swamps. Fiddler crabs are most well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males’ major claw is much larger than the minor claw while the females’ claws are both the same size. Like all crabs, fiddler crabs shed their shells as they grow. If they have lost legs or claws during their present growth cycle, a new one will be present when they molt. If the large fiddle claw is lost, males will develop one on the opposite side after their next molt. Newly molted crabs are very vulnerable because of their soft shells. They are reclusive and hide until the new shell hardens. Fiddler crabs exhibit a constant circadian rhythm in a controlled laboratory setting that mimics the ebb and flow of the tides. The crabs turn dark in the day and light in the dark.
  • 753
  • 24 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Fish Skin Mucus Extracts as Antimicrobial Agents
The slow discovery of new antibiotics combined with the alarming emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria underscores the need for alternative treatments. In this regard, fish skin mucus has been demonstrated to contain a diverse array of bioactive molecules with antimicrobial properties, including peptides, proteins, and other metabolites. This entry aims to provide an overview of the antimicrobial molecules found in fish skin mucus and its reported in vitro antimicrobial capacity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Additionally, the different methods of mucus extraction, which can be grouped as aqueous, organic, and acidic extractions, are presented. Finally, omic techniques (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and multiomics) are described as key tools for the identification and isolation of new antimicrobial compounds.
  • 743
  • 19 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Aeromonas spp. in Cultured Red Hybrid Tilapia
The genus Aeromonas has been recognised as an important pathogenic species in aquaculture that causes motile Aeromonas septicaemia (MAS) or less severe, chronic infections. This study compares the pathogenicity of the different Aeromonas spp. that were previously isolated from freshwater fish with signs of MAS. A total of 124 isolates of Aeromonas spp. were initially screened for the ability to grow on M9 agar with myo-inositol as a sole carbon source, which is a discriminatory phenotype for the hypervirulent A. hydrophila (vAh) pathotype. Subsequently, LD50 of six selected Aeromonas spp. were determined by intraperitoneal injection of bacterial suspension containing 10^3, 10^5, and 10^7 CFU/mL of the respective Aeromonas sp. to red hybrid tilapias. The kidneys, livers and spleens of infected moribund fish were examined for histopathological changes. The screening revealed that only A. dhakensis 1P11S3 was able to grow using myo-inositol as a sole carbon source, and no vAh strains were identified. The LD50–240h of A. dhakensis 1P11S3 was 10^7 CFU/mL, while the non-myo-inositol utilizing A. dhakensis 4PS2 and A. hydrophila 8TK3 was lower at 10^5 CFU/mL. Similarly, tilapia challenged with the myo-inositol A. dhakensis 1P11S3 showed significantly (p < 0.05) less severe signs, gross and histopathological lesions, and a lower mortality rate than the non-myo-inositol A. dhakensis 4PS2 and A. hydrophila 8TK3. These findings suggested that myo-inositol utilizing A. dhakensis 1P11S3 was not a hypervirulent Aeromonas sp. under current experimental disease challenge conditions, and that diverse Aeromonas spp. are of concern in aquaculture farmed freshwater fish. Therefore, future study is warranted on genomic level to further elucidate the influence of myo-inositol utilizing ability on the pathogenesis of Aeromonas spp., since this ability correlates with hypervirulence in A. hydrophila strains.
  • 715
  • 12 Jan 2022
Topic Review
UV-Filters Risk for Coastal Environments
Considering the rapid growth of tourism in recent years and the acknowledgement that exposure to solar UV radiation may cause skin cancer, sunscreens have been widely used by beachgoers in recent decades. UV filters contained in sunscreens were recently identified as emerging pollutants in coastal waters since they accumulate in the marine environment with different adverse effects. In fact, direct and/or indirect exposure to these components was proven to be harmful and eventually toxic to many invertebrate and vertebrate marine species.
  • 705
  • 21 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Marine Bioactive Compounds Available on the Market
Marine natural products are potent and promising sources of drugs among other natural products of plant, animal, and microbial origin.  Marine drugs are classified into six categories, where the basis of classification is nonuniform but maintains the flow of context within the category. Most of the drugs are categorized on the basis of the complexity of structures such as “spongonucleosides”, “antibody-drug conjugates”, and “peptides or proteins used as drugs or used in drug preparations”, but some are categorized on the basis of their mechanism of action, such as “microtubule inhibitors” and “deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) alkylating agents”, or their natural source of abundance, such as “fish oil and its components as drugs”.
  • 702
  • 29 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Photoautotrophic Euendoliths
Photoautotrophic euendoliths, including cyanobacteria, and red and green microalgae, are part of the endolithic community. The term ‘endolith’ refers to a morphologically and physiologically heterogenous group of microorganisms living within a rock or other stony matter, such as coral skeletons or animal shells, and more specifically, to organisms that actively bore into relatively soluble substrates, such as phosphate and carbonate substrates. Euendoliths are ubiquitous, as they can be found in almost every environment, geographical location, or depth, where the appropriate substratum (e.g., relatively soluble carbonate and phosphate substrates) is available and the requirements for photosynthesis are met. The most diverse and abundant modern euendolithic communities can be found in the marine environment. Euendoliths, as microorganisms infesting inanimate substrates, were first thought to be ecologically irrelevant. Numerous studies have subsequently shown that euendoliths can colonize living marine calcifying organisms, such as coral skeletons and bivalve shells, causing both sub-lethal and lethal damage. Moreover, under suitable environmental conditions, their presence can have surprising benefits for the host. Thus, infestation by photoautotrophic euendoliths has significant consequences for calcifying organisms that are of particular importance in the case of ecosystems underpinned by calcifying ecosystem engineers.
  • 672
  • 17 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Metschnikowia bicuspidata
Metschnikowia bicuspidata is an opportunistic pathogenic yeast that is distributed in marine and freshwater environments worldwide. 
  • 651
  • 01 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Marine Resources for COVID-19 Treatment
Marine resources have significant pharmacological potential in combatting various diseases, such as COVID-19. The wide variety of marine bioactive compounds and their implications are extensive. Micro and macro-organisms produce inorganic polyphosphates, sulfated polysaccharides, Bromotyrosines and many more. These compounds possess unique properties that allow them to combat Sars-Cov-2 infection, proving as efficacious potential therapeutics. Despite the challenges faced, marine organisms serve as a promising avenue for future pharmacological intervention. The present review for the first time highlights marine bioactive compounds, their sources, and their anti-viral mechanisms of action, with a focus on potential COVID-19 treatment.
  • 639
  • 27 Jul 2021
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