Artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that allows machines to work efficiently, can analyze complex data. The research focused on AI has increased tremendously, and its role in healthcare service and research is emerging at a greater pace. This review elaborates on the opportunities and challenges of AI in healthcare and pharmaceutical research. The literature was collected from domains such as PubMed, Science Direct and Google scholar using specific keywords and phrases such as ‘Artificial intelligence’, ‘Pharmaceutical research’, ‘drug discovery’, ‘clinical trial’, ‘disease diagnosis’, etc. to select the research and review articles published within the last five years. The application of AI in disease diagnosis, digital therapy, personalized treatment, drug discovery and forecasting epidemics or pandemics was extensively reviewed in this article. Deep learning and neural networks are the most used AI technologies; Bayesian nonparametric models are the potential technologies for clinical trial design; natural language processing and wearable devices are used in patient identification and clinical trial monitoring. Deep learning and neural networks were applied in predicting the outbreak of seasonal influenza, Zika, Ebola, Tuberculosis and COVID-19. With the advancement of AI technologies, the scientific community may witness rapid and cost-effective healthcare and pharmaceutical research as well as provide improved service to the general public.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder recognized as a major health problem globally. A defective insulin activity contributes to the prevalence and expansion of DM. Treatment of DM is often hampered by limited options of conventional therapies and adverse effects associated with existing procedures. This has led to a spike in the exploration for potential therapeutic agents from various natural resources for clinical applications. The marine environment is a huge store of unexplored diversity of chemicals produced by a multitude of organisms. To date, marine microorganisms, microalgae, macroalgae, corals, sponges, and fishes have been evaluated for their anti-diabetic properties. The structural diversity of bioactive metabolites discovered has shown promising hypoglycaemic potential through in vitro and in vivo screenings via various mechanisms of action, such as PTP1B, α-glucosidase, α-amylase, β-glucosidase, and aldose reductase inhibition as well as PPAR alpha/gamma dual agonists activities. On the other hand, hypoglycaemic effect is also shown to be exerted through the balance of antioxidants and free radicals. This review highlights marine-derived chemicals with hypoglycaemic effects and their respective mechanisms of action in the management of DM in humans.

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,