Contryphan-Bt: A pyroglutamic acid containing conopeptide isolated from the venom of Conus betulinus

Marine Pharmacology in 2016-2017: Marine Compounds with Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, Anti-Inflammatory, Antiprotozoal, Antituberculosis and Antiviral Activities; Affecting the Immune and Nervous Systems, and Other Miscellaneous Mechanisms of Action

The review of the 2016-2017 marine pharmacology literature was prepared in a manner similar as the 10 prior reviews of this series. Preclinical marine pharmacology research during 2016-2017 assessed 313 marine compounds with novel pharmacology reported by a growing number of investigators from 54 countries. The peer-reviewed literature reported antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antituberculosis, and antiviral activities for 123 marine natural products, 111 marine compounds with antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory activities as well as affecting the immune and nervous system, while in contrast 79 marine compounds displayed miscellaneous mechanisms of action which upon further investigation may contribute to several pharmacological classes. Therefore, in 2016-2017, the preclinical marine natural product pharmacology pipeline generated both novel pharmacology as well as potentially new lead compounds for the growing clinical marine pharmaceutical pipeline, and thus sustained with its contributions the global research for novel and effective therapeutic strategies for multiple disease categories.

D-Amino Acids in Peptides from Animals, Including Human: Occurrence, Structure, Bioactivity and Pharmacology

All life forms typically possess homochirality, with rare exceptions. In the case of peptides and proteins, only L-amino acids are known to be encoded by genes. Nevertheless, D-amino acids have been identified in a variety of peptides, synthesized by animal cells. They include neuroexcitatory and neuroprotective peptides, cardioexcitatory peptides, hyperglycemic hormones, opioid peptides, antimicrobial peptides, natriuretic and defensin-like peptides, and fibrinopeptides. This article is a review of their occurrence, structure and bioactivity. It further explores the pharmacology and potential medical applications of some of the peptides.

Marine natural products

Covering: January to December 2017This review covers the literature published in 2017 for marine natural products (MNPs), with 740 citations (723 for the period January to December 2017) referring to compounds isolated from marine microorganisms and phytoplankton, green, brown and red algae, sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms, mangroves and other intertidal plants and microorganisms. The emphasis is on new compounds (1490 in 477 papers for 2017), together with the relevant biological activities, source organisms and country of origin. Reviews, biosynthetic studies, first syntheses, and syntheses that led to the revision of structures or stereochemistries, have been included. Geographic distributions of MNPs at a phylogenetic level are reported.