Dietary Antioxidants: Molecular Mechanisms, Health Benefits, and Therapeutic Potential

A Special Issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921) belonging to the section "Health Outcomes of Antioxidants and Oxidative Stress".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2026) | Viewed by 757

Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Dietary antioxidants include a diverse array of phytochemicals, vitamins, and natural compounds that maintain redox balance by neutralizing reactive oxygen species, supporting antioxidant defenses, and reducing oxidative stress-induced cellular damage. These compounds also quench free radicals and modulate redox-sensitive signaling pathways implicated in inflammation, mitochondrial function, cell death, and metabolic regulation.

This Special Issue, “Dietary Antioxidants: Molecular Mechanisms, Health Benefits, and Therapeutic Potential,” will provide a comprehensive overview of the significance and practical applications of dietary antioxidants for human health.

Original research and review articles are sought on the effects of natural antioxidants, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamins, peptides, and novel phytochemicals, on antioxidant activity, bioavailability, and their interactions within complex food matrices. Submissions should address molecular pathways related to metabolism, inflammation, mitochondrial function, and cell signaling and elucidate interactions between antioxidants, gut microbiota, and host metabolism using advanced analytical, biochemical, and omics-based methodologies. Papers presenting clinical or epidemiological evidence regarding antioxidant-rich diets, their preventive roles in chronic diseases, and their therapeutic applications in metabolic, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and inflammatory disorders are encouraged. We also welcome contributions on innovative delivery systems, nanoformulations, and food-based strategies to enhance antioxidant stability and efficacy.

Dr. Irene Dini
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • dietary antioxidants
  • oxidative stress
  • redox signaling
  • antioxidants bioavailability
  • gut microbiota interactions
  • chronic disease prevention
  • functional foods
  • nutraceuticals

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 16469 KB  
Article
Widely Targeted Metabolomics Reveals Dynamic Secondary Metabolite Accumulation and Antioxidant Biomarkers Across Ripening Stages of Ziziphus jujuba cv. ‘Junzao’ Fruit
by Yahui Yan, Chaoming Zhang, Yongxia Tao and Zuoshan Feng
Antioxidants 2026, 15(8), 1038; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15081038 - 20 Aug 2026
Viewed by 329
Abstract
Fruit ripening is accompanied by extensive reprogramming of secondary metabolism, which determines the antioxidant value of medicine-food homologous fruits. Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. ‘Junzao’ (Junzao) is a high-quality cultivar rich in bioactive compounds, yet its stage-dependent metabolite accumulation and the corresponding antioxidant capacity [...] Read more.
Fruit ripening is accompanied by extensive reprogramming of secondary metabolism, which determines the antioxidant value of medicine-food homologous fruits. Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. ‘Junzao’ (Junzao) is a high-quality cultivar rich in bioactive compounds, yet its stage-dependent metabolite accumulation and the corresponding antioxidant capacity remain poorly resolved. In this study, widely targeted metabolomics was combined with the quantification of total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoid (TFC), and total triterpenoid (TTC) contents and with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical (ABTS) radical-scavenging assays to profile Junzao fruits at five developmental stages. A total of 2388 secondary metabolites were identified, with flavonoids and terpenoids representing the major classes. TPC and TFC were highest at the immature YG (young-fruit) stage, whereas TTC peaked at the BS (white-ripe) stage; all three decreased during subsequent ripening, consistent with the stronger DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activities observed in early-stage fruits. Multivariate analyses revealed distinct metabolic profiles among developmental stages, and 2111 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified. K-means clustering resolved nine temporal accumulation patterns, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment indicated dynamic regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid metabolism, and triterpenoid-related pathways. Spearman correlation analyses further identified ten metabolites, comprising six flavonoids, three triterpenes, and one phenolic acid, that were strongly associated with antioxidant capacity (|r| ≥ 0.5, p < 0.05), highlighting their potential as biomarkers for quality evaluation. Overall, immature Junzao fruits exhibited superior antioxidant capacity, supporting their promise as functional-food ingredients and providing a basis for stage-specific harvesting and utilization. Full article
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