Exploring Natural Products as Modulators of Oxidative Stress in Health and Disease

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, natural products have become increasingly popular due to the wide range of biological activities ascribed to them. In particular, their ability to modulate oxidative stress, which plays a pivotal role in the development and progression of several pathologic conditions (e.g., neurodegeneration, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic ailments, diabetes mellitus, aging, and cancer), has been proposed as a potential strategy via which to promote human health.

Since the complete avoidance of the factors that trigger oxidative stress is not feasible, enhancing the cellular antioxidant system by using natural products could represent an alternative technique able to tackle this problem. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between natural antioxidants and human health, suggesting that they are mainly effective in counteracting non-communicable diseases, such as neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer.

However, from the other side, overexposure to natural antioxidants can also lead to adverse effects, especially in highly susceptible people, such as cancer patients. Moreover, other adverse reactions may occur as a consequence of polymorphisms, concomitant pathologies, or pharmacological treatments. In this scenario, it is of the outmost importance to elucidate the role of natural products in oxidative stress modulation, in order to better harness their benefits while avoiding the possible risk of toxicity.

In line with this evidence, the aim of this Special Issue is to collect original articles and review papers focused on unveiling the dual antioxidant or pro-oxidant role of natural products and the possible pharmaceutical applications and safety.

The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• discovering novel sources of antioxidants, with a special focus on chemically characterized extracts from medicinal plants, waste materials, and innovative plant production;
• investigating the role of antioxidant agents in countering various pro-oxidant stressors and their effectiveness in experimental models of inflammatory and oxidative-related diseases;
• unravelling the mechanism underlying the potential adverse reactions associated with antioxidant agents;
• exploring the effects on cell signaling pathways and molecular targets;
• carrying out pharmacokinetic and digestion studies to better understand the absorption and metabolism of antioxidants;
• clarifying the safety and efficacy of antioxidants in clinical trials.

Special attention will be devoted to papers addressing the role of antioxidants in cancers (e.g., Nrf2 modulators) and in liver damage. Papers presenting pharmaceutical formulations that are able to improve the bioavailability and delivery of antioxidants to targets are also welcome.

Dr. Antonella Di Sotto
Dr. Silvia Di Giacomo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• plant-based herbal extracts
• waste
• natural substances
• medicinal plants
• food supplements
• liver
• cancer
• noncommunicable diseases
• chemoprevention
• molecular mechanisms
• adverse reactions
• safety