Marine bioactive compounds in the management of zoonotic parasitic diseases: public health ramifications, mechanisms, and translational prospects.

Zoonotic parasitic diseases remain a significant global public health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income areas, where treatment constraints, toxicity, and the development of drug resistance hinder effective control. This review examines marine-derived bioactive substances as a potential source of innovative antiparasitic agents against significant zoonotic pathogens, like Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia duodenalis, Microsporidia, and Trichomonas vaginalis. It assembles the existing evidence on the efficacy of these agents against parasites taking into account different mechanisms of action, including breakdown of cytoskeleton, proteasome blockade, membrane destabilisation, and interference with processes related to nucleic acids. Some compounds are effective against drug-resistant strains, implying their potential as alternative or adjunctive therapies. The review also highlights novel approaches in drug discovery and development such as AI-assisted screening, network pharmacology and nanotechnology-based delivery systems. It also looks at ways of making drugs in a more sustainable way, for example using microbial fermentation and synthetic biology. Marine bioactives represent an exciting but underexploited resource for next generation antiparasitic drugs, but further investigation into their pharmacokinetics, safety and clinical application is compulsory.