Diversity, molecular mechanisms and structure-activity relationships of marine protease inhibitors-A review

Marine habitats are well-known for their diverse life forms that are potential sources of novel bioactive compounds. Evidence from existing studies suggests that these compounds contribute significantly to the field of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals. The isolation of natural compounds from a marine environment with protease inhibitory activity has gained importance due to drug discovery potential. Despite the increasing research endeavours focusing on protease inhibitors' design and characterization, many of these compounds have failed to reach final phases of clinical trials. As a result, the search for new sources for the development of protease inhibitors remains pertinent. This review focuses on the diverse marine protease inhibitors and their structure-activity relationships. Furthermore, the potential of marine protease inhibitors in drug discovery and molecular mechanism inhibitor binding are critically discussed.