Harnessing marine bioactive compounds: In silico insights into therapeutics for rheumatoid arthritis and major depressive disorder

The quest for the discovery of novel therapeutic agents’ increases day by day owing to the increased incidence of drug-resistant infections, chronic diseases, and a need for discovering novel treatments. Conventionally, the sources for molecules of drugs have remained from terrestrial plants and microorganisms, yet the chemical adaptability of marine organisms presents something very unique in chemical terms and remains an uncharted frontier. Marine bioactive compounds-chemicals produced by marine organisms that have positive health impacts on humans-attract particular interest due to their pharmaceutical potential. Marine organisms range from macroalgae (seaweeds), microalgae, and sponges to molluscs, echinoderms, and fish. Each of these categories generates a variety of bioactive compounds that have unique biochemical properties. Many marine-derived compounds have exhibited strong antimicrobial activity, anticancer activity and neuroprotective effects. Despite the enormous potential of marine bioactive compounds in drug discovery, several challenges like Accessibility and Sustainability, Complexity of Marine Compounds, and Regulation and Approval act as bottlenecks in taking them from the lab to the clinic. It is an imperative task to tackle these challenges for a complete development of marine pharmacopoeia. This review emphasizes on the possible application of chemicals emanating from marine sources as lead molecules for the prevention of major depressive disorder and rheumatoid arthritis.