Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Marine Natural Products: A Source of Novel Anticancer Drugs

This review explores marine natural products as potential sources for new anticancer drugs, highlighting compounds derived from marine plants, algae, bacteria, fungi, and invertebrates. Researchers found that marine organisms produce diverse bioactive metabolites with unique chemical structures that show promise against cancer cells. The study underscores the ocean as a largely untapped reservoir of compounds that could lead to novel therapeutic approaches.

2019 Marine Drugs 542 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine Ecological Well-Being and the Development of Human Health Through Marine Natural Products and Nutraceuticals

This review examines the balance between marine ecological health and the development of nutraceuticals and functional foods from ocean species. The study discusses how pollution including microplastics threatens marine ecosystems while also covering the bioactive compounds from marine organisms that show potential antioxidant, cardio-protective, and neuroprotective properties.

2026 MarineMedicine
Article Tier 2

From Ocean to Medicine: Harnessing Seaweed’s Potential for Drug Development

This review explores how compounds derived from seaweed show promise for drug development, with properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activity. While not directly about microplastics, marine-derived bioactive compounds could be relevant to addressing the inflammation and oxidative stress that microplastic exposure is known to cause in the body.

2024 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Neuroprotective compounds from marine invertebrates

Researchers reviewed biologically active compounds found in marine invertebrates like sponges, sea cucumbers, and coral, many of which show potential for treating neuroinflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's by targeting key proteins involved in brain inflammation and cell death. While promising, the review notes that challenges around sustainable sourcing and the need for more clinical trials remain significant hurdles before these marine compounds reach patients.

2023 Beni-Suef University Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Isolation, Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activity of Bioactive Secondary Metabolites from Marine Sponge-Associated Bacteria

This paper is not about microplastics; it screens bacteria isolated from Red Sea and Mediterranean marine sponges for antimicrobial and anticancer compounds, identifying extracts with activity against hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer, and colon cancer cell lines.

2023 Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Compounds of Marine Origin with Possible Applications as Healing Agents

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research; it reviews bioactive compounds from marine organisms and their potential applications in wound healing and cosmetic formulations, with no focus on plastic contamination.

2024 Marine Drugs 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Glyceroglycolipids in marine algae: A review of their pharmacological activity

This review examines the pharmacological activities of glyceroglycolipids from marine algae, highlighting their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, and antitumor properties and their potential applications in medicine and cosmetics.

2022 Frontiers in Pharmacology 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioactive Compound and Functional Properties of Sea Cucumbers as Nutraceutical Products

This review examines the nutritional and bioactive compounds found in sea cucumbers, including proteins, collagen, and omega-3 fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. While not directly about microplastics, sea cucumbers are bottom-dwelling filter feeders that are highly exposed to microplastic contamination in ocean sediments. As sea cucumbers are increasingly used in supplements and food products, their potential to accumulate microplastics raises concerns about another route of human exposure.

2024 Reviews in Agricultural Science 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Rehashing Our Insight of Seaweeds as a Potential Source of Foods, Nutraceuticals, and Pharmaceuticals

This review summarizes research on seaweed as a source of beneficial compounds including antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and other health-promoting substances. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because seaweeds grow in marine environments increasingly contaminated with microplastics. Understanding the health benefits of seaweed also requires considering the potential risks of microplastic contamination in these marine food sources.

2023 Foods 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Perspective on the Therapeutic Applications of Algal Polysaccharides

Researchers reviewed the extraction, structural properties, and therapeutic bioactivities of algal polysaccharides — complex carbohydrates from marine and freshwater algae — summarizing evidence for their anticancer, antiviral, antidiabetic, and immunomodulatory effects and identifying knowledge gaps needed to develop them as pharmaceuticals.

2021 Journal of Polymers and the Environment 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Lipid Extracts from the Marine Fungi Emericellopsis cladophorae and Zalerion maritima as a Source of Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Compounds

Researchers evaluated lipid extracts from two marine fungi, Emericellopsis cladophorae and Zalerion maritima, for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. The study found that these marine fungal extracts contain bioactive lipid compounds with potential health-beneficial properties, contributing to growing interest in marine organisms as sources of novel therapeutic compounds.

2023 Marine Drugs 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of nutraceutical against exposure to pesticide residues: power of bioactive compounds

This review explores how nutraceuticals, which are health-promoting compounds found in foods like fruits, vegetables, and spices, might help protect the body against damage from pesticide exposure. The bioactive compounds, including antioxidants and polyphenols, can support detoxification and repair cellular damage caused by environmental toxins. While focused on pesticides, this approach is relevant to microplastic exposure because microplastics carry pesticides and other chemicals into the body, and dietary interventions could potentially help mitigate some of their harmful effects.

2024 Frontiers in Nutrition 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Some Dermato-Cosmetic Preparations with Marine Lipids from Black Sea Wild Stingray

This study characterized dermato-cosmetic preparations formulated with marine lipids from Black Sea fish, evaluating their therapeutic and functional properties based on the traditionally recognized bioactive compounds found in these marine ingredients.

2023 Marine Drugs 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Uncovering the Anticancer Potential of Polydatin: A Mechanistic Insight

This review examines the anticancer mechanisms of polydatin, a natural stilbenoid compound, detailing its ability to inhibit tumor growth through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and apoptotic pathways across multiple cancer types.

2022 Molecules 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Persian Gulf Bivalves: Bioactive Pharmaceutical Compounds and Biomedical Applications

This review covers the bioactive compounds found in bivalves from the Persian Gulf and their potential pharmaceutical and medical applications. Bivalves are relevant to microplastic research because they filter large volumes of water and accumulate microplastics and associated chemicals in their tissues. This paper focuses on medicinal compounds rather than contamination.

2021 Iranian South Medical Journal
Article Tier 2

Saving the pharmacy of the sea: How does global change affect species with bioactive potential in the Mediterranean?

This study examined how human activities — including pollution, fishing, and climate change — threaten Mediterranean marine species that produce potentially useful bioactive compounds. Microplastic contamination is among the stressors affecting these species and their ability to produce molecules of pharmaceutical interest.

2020 Mètode Revista de difusió de la investigació 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Mollusk shells as marine bioactive materials: Composition, bioactivities, and prospects for food and health applications

Researchers reviewed the bioactive properties of marine mollusk shells, which are generated in large quantities as seafood processing waste. They found that shell-derived compounds exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and bone-building properties, supporting potential uses as natural calcium sources and functional food ingredients. The study highlights an opportunity to turn an abundant waste material into valuable health and food science applications.

2026 iScience 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Astaxanthin: a powerful antioxidant used in aquaculture for coloration with aquatic animal health implications

Not relevant to microplastics — this review covers astaxanthin, a natural antioxidant pigment used in aquaculture, and its potential health benefits for farmed fish and crustaceans.

2023 Journal of Animal Science and Animal Nutrition 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Health benefits of fish and fish by-products—a nutritional and functional perspective

This review highlights the nutritional benefits of fish as a source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and bioactive compounds that protect against cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and neurological disorders. However, it also notes that some fish species are contaminated with harmful substances, which is relevant given that microplastics in aquatic environments can accumulate in fish and transfer toxins up the food chain.

2025 Frontiers in Nutrition 27 citations
Article Tier 2

The risks of marine micro/nano-plastics on seafood safety and human health

This review examined the risks of marine micro- and nanoplastics to seafood safety and human health, detailing how plastic particles are ingested by marine organisms and transferred through the food chain to consumers.

2023 Advances in food and nutrition research 9 citations