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Antioxidants
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Antioxidants and Antioxidant Mechanisms in the Prevention and Treatment of...
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Antioxidants and Antioxidant Mechanisms in the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases

A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Outcomes of Antioxidants and Oxidative Stress".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 September 2025 | Viewed by 200

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gabriele Carullo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
Interests: HDAC; vasorelaxant agents; antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutraceuticals; leukemia; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; hybrid compounds; retinitis pigmentosa
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maria Dichiara

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Interests: medicinal chemistry; drug design; anticancer drugs; infectious diseases; de novo synthetic compounds; neurological disorders
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Valeria Tudino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Interests: medicinal chemistry; HIV; anticancer compounds; antimicrobial agents; nitrogen-based compounds; Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sara Rossi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Viale delle Scienze, 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
Interests: medicinal chemistry; antiviral agents; antiparasitic compounds; HDAC inhibitors; SARS-CoV-2; ESKAPE pathogens

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antioxidants play a key role in neutralizing free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS), and are recognized as both preventive and therapeutic agents. Oxidative stress interferes with several biological processes essential to maintaining a stable immune system, which contributes to the development of various diseases, including by way of increasing susceptibility to infections. Infectious diseases arise when the body’s normal homeostatic processes are disrupted due to the harmful effects of infectious organisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites. Many pathogens and their metabolites produce free radicals, which contribute to their virulence and pathogenicity. Antioxidants can assist in combating infectious diseases in multiple ways. Beyond counteracting the harmful effects of reactive species, they also support the development and maintenance of healthy immune cells, which fight off pathogens, limiting the spread of infective agents and neutralizing the free radicals. Certain dietary antioxidants, such as phenolics and flavonoids, also present antimicrobial properties. These activities can be attributed to their ability to inhibit various enzymes and physiological processes in bacteria and viruses. Phenolics can form complexes with proteins like microbial adhesins, enzymes, and cell envelope transport proteins, ultimately deactivating them. Additionally, these molecules can alter membrane fluidity and inhibit quorum sensing, further contributing to their antimicrobial effects.

In this Special Issue, we welcome original articles and reviews in which the role of antioxidants in infectious diseases is discussed, including isolated compounds, known antioxidants, and phytocomplexes, as well that those that elucidate and discuss their roles in inflammatory conditions sustained by pathogens.

Dr. Gabriele Carullo
Dr. Maria Dichiara
Dr. Valeria Tudino
Guest Editors

Dr. Sara Rossi
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antioxidants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antioxidants
  • infectious diseases
  • quorum sensing
  • inflammation
  • natural and synthetic antioxidants
  • oxidative stress

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

24 pages, 1320 KB  
Article
Hyssopus cuspidatus Boriss Volatile Extract (SXC): A Dual-Action Antioxidant and Antifungal Agent Targeting Candida albicans Pathogenicity and Vulvovaginal Candidiasis via Host Oxidative Stress Modulation and Fungal Metabolic Reprogramming
by Yun-Dan Guo, Ming-Xuan Zhang, Quan-Yong Yu, Lu-Lu Wang, Yan-Xing Han, Tian-Le Gao, Yuan Lin, Cai Tie and Jian-Dong Jiang
Antioxidants 2025, 14(9), 1046; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14091046 (registering DOI) - 25 Aug 2025
Abstract
Background and purpose: Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), caused by Candida albicans (C. albicans), is exacerbated by oxidative stress and uncontrolled inflammation. Pathogens like C. albicans generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) to enhance virulence, while host immune responses further amplify oxidative damage. This study investigates [...] Read more.
Background and purpose: Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), caused by Candida albicans (C. albicans), is exacerbated by oxidative stress and uncontrolled inflammation. Pathogens like C. albicans generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) to enhance virulence, while host immune responses further amplify oxidative damage. This study investigates the antioxidant and antifungal properties of Hyssopus cuspidatus Boriss volatile extract (SXC), a traditional Uyghur medicinal herb, against fluconazole-resistant VVC. We hypothesize that SXC’s bioactive volatiles counteract pathogen-induced oxidative stress while inhibiting fungal growth and inflammation. Methods: GC-MS identified SXC’s major bioactive components, while broth microdilution assays determined minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against bacterial/fungal pathogens, and synergistic interactions with amphotericin B (AmB) or fluconazole (FLC) were assessed via time–kill kinetics. Anti-biofilm activity was quantified using crystal violet/XTT assays, and in vitro studies evaluated SXC’s effects on C. albicans-induced cytotoxicity (LDH release in A431 cells) and inflammatory responses (cytokine production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages). A murine VVC model, employing estrogen-mediated pathogenesis and intravaginal C. albicans challenge, confirmed SXC’s in vivo effects. Immune modulation was assessed using ELISA and RT-qPCR targeting inflammatory and antioxidative stress mediators, while UPLC-MS was employed to profile metabolic perturbations in C. albicans. Results: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified 10 key volatile components contributing to SXC’s activity. SXC exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity with MIC values ranging from 0.125–16 μL/mL against bacterial and fungal pathogens, including fluconazole-resistant Candida strains. Time–kill assays revealed that combinations of AmB-SXC and FLC-SXC achieved sustained synergistic bactericidal activity across all tested strains. Mechanistic studies revealed SXC’s dual antifungal actions: inhibition of C. albicans hyphal development and biofilm formation through downregulation of the Ras1-cAMP-Efg1 signaling pathway, and attenuation of riboflavin-mediated energy metabolism crucial for fungal proliferation. In the VVC model, SXC reduced vaginal fungal burden, alleviated clinical symptoms, and preserved vaginal epithelial integrity. Mechanistically, SXC modulated host immune responses by suppressing oxidative stress and pyroptosis through TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway inhibition, evidenced by reduced caspase-1 activation and decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α). Conclusions: SXC shows promise as a broad-spectrum natural antimicrobial against fungal pathogens. It inhibited C. albicans hyphal growth, adhesion, biofilm formation, and invasion in vitro, while reducing oxidative and preserving vaginal mucosal integrity in vivo. By disrupting fungal metabolic pathways and modulating host immune responses, SXC offers a novel approach to treating recurrent, drug-resistant VVC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants and Antioxidant Mechanisms in the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases)
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