Emerging and Versatile Non-Mammalian Model Organisms for Studying the In Vivo Antioxidant Properties of Food-Derived Bioactive Compounds

Miranda-Carrazco, Alejandra; Torres-Salas, Verenice; Cruz-Monterrosa, Rosy G.; Rosas-Espejel, Monzerrat; Guerrero-Encinas, Ildefonso; González-González, Javier N.; Quihui-Cota, Luis; Liceaga, Andrea M.; Aguilar-Toalá, José E.

doi:10.3390/antiox14091127

Open AccessReview

Emerging and Versatile Non-Mammalian Model Organisms for Studying the In Vivo Antioxidant Properties of Food-Derived Bioactive Compounds

by

Alejandra Miranda-Carrazco

¹

,

Verenice Torres-Salas

²,

Rosy G. Cruz-Monterrosa

³,

Monzerrat Rosas-Espejel

³,

Ildefonso Guerrero-Encinas

⁴

,

Javier N. González-González

⁴,

Luis Quihui-Cota

⁴,

Andrea M. Liceaga

^5,*,†

and

José E. Aguilar-Toalá

^3,*,†

¹

Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, División de Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Lerma, Av. de las Garzas 10. Col. El Panteón, Lerma de Villada 52005, Estado de México, Mexico

²

Departamento de Ingeniería Agroindustrial, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Km 38.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, Chapingo 56230, Estado de México, Mexico

³

Departamento de Ciencias de la Alimentación, División de Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Lerma, Av. de las Garzas 10. Col. El Panteón, Lerma de Villada 52005, Estado de México, Mexico

⁴

Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. (CIAD, A.C.) Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas No. 46. Col. La Victoria, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico

⁵

Protein Chemistry and Bioactive Peptides Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, 745 Agriculture Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Antioxidants 2025, 14(9), 1127; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14091127

Submission received: 13 August 2025 / Revised: 5 September 2025 / Accepted: 12 September 2025 / Published: 18 September 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring New Frontiers in Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Research: From Model Organisms to Human Disease)

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Abstract

In recent years, there has been increased attention to exploring non-mammalian model organisms to study the antioxidant properties of bioactive compounds. These models include both unicellular organisms, such as Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and multicellular organisms, such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, and Danio rerio. In particular, multicellular models have emerged as promising systems due to their ease of establishing systems and maintenance, short duration of experiments, ease of genetic manipulation and genome-wide screening, availability as off-the-shelf models, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Notably, these organisms share a high degree of gene homology with humans, ranging from 65% to 84%, which positions them as powerful platforms for investigating human disease mechanisms. These advantages make them attractive candidates for investigating the potential health benefits of various bioactive compounds before resorting to mammalian models. This review delves into the rationale for utilizing these emerging non-mammalian model organisms during preliminary stages of research, emphasizing their distinct advantages over traditional mammalian models. It also highlights their significant contributions to advancing our understanding of the antioxidant mechanisms of bioactive compounds, shedding light on their potential therapeutic implications for human health. By leveraging these models, researchers can efficiently screen and validate bioactive compounds, laying a robust foundation for subsequent translational studies in mammalian systems.

Keywords: unicellular microorganisms; multicellular organisms; non-mammalian model systems; antioxidant activity; oxidative stress; bioactive compounds

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MDPI and ACS Style

Miranda-Carrazco, A.; Torres-Salas, V.; Cruz-Monterrosa, R.G.; Rosas-Espejel, M.; Guerrero-Encinas, I.; González-González, J.N.; Quihui-Cota, L.; Liceaga, A.M.; Aguilar-Toalá, J.E. Emerging and Versatile Non-Mammalian Model Organisms for Studying the In Vivo Antioxidant Properties of Food-Derived Bioactive Compounds. Antioxidants 2025, 14, 1127. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14091127

AMA Style

Miranda-Carrazco A, Torres-Salas V, Cruz-Monterrosa RG, Rosas-Espejel M, Guerrero-Encinas I, González-González JN, Quihui-Cota L, Liceaga AM, Aguilar-Toalá JE. Emerging and Versatile Non-Mammalian Model Organisms for Studying the In Vivo Antioxidant Properties of Food-Derived Bioactive Compounds. Antioxidants. 2025; 14(9):1127. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14091127

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miranda-Carrazco, Alejandra, Verenice Torres-Salas, Rosy G. Cruz-Monterrosa, Monzerrat Rosas-Espejel, Ildefonso Guerrero-Encinas, Javier N. González-González, Luis Quihui-Cota, Andrea M. Liceaga, and José E. Aguilar-Toalá. 2025. "Emerging and Versatile Non-Mammalian Model Organisms for Studying the In Vivo Antioxidant Properties of Food-Derived Bioactive Compounds" Antioxidants 14, no. 9: 1127. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14091127

APA Style

Miranda-Carrazco, A., Torres-Salas, V., Cruz-Monterrosa, R. G., Rosas-Espejel, M., Guerrero-Encinas, I., González-González, J. N., Quihui-Cota, L., Liceaga, A. M., & Aguilar-Toalá, J. E. (2025). Emerging and Versatile Non-Mammalian Model Organisms for Studying the In Vivo Antioxidant Properties of Food-Derived Bioactive Compounds. Antioxidants, 14(9), 1127. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14091127

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Emerging and Versatile Non-Mammalian Model Organisms for Studying the In Vivo Antioxidant Properties of Food-Derived Bioactive Compounds

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