Antioxidant Effects of Natural Compounds on Cell Metabolism

A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural and Synthetic Antioxidants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 465

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
Interests: antioxidants; oxidative stress; red blood cells; oxygen; metabolic pathways; flavonoids; lipid peroxidation; hemoglobin; erythrocyte metabolism; blood; free radicals; free radical scavengers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
Interests: blood; red blood cells; hemoglobin; erythrocyte membranes; oxygen; oxidative stress; antioxidant activity; natural compounds; lipid peroxidation; free radicals; free radical scavengers; adenosine triphosphate; erythrocyte metabolism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Organisms possess countless metabolic and biosynthetic capacities that constitute a rich source of new opportunities to discover functions and pathways that are still unknown and for which the identification of all enzymatic functions in a pathway is essential. Maintaining the proper functioning of the thousands of biochemical reactions that take place inside cells that can be exposed to various natural stressors or that result from environmental pollution is the key to safeguarding life itself.

Oxidative stress can be caused by an imbalance between the cell’s antioxidant defenses and free radical generation. For this reason, it is important to improve cellular antioxidant systems that are given by a combination of molecules, complexes, and biochemical processes that protect the cell from oxidative insults.

Cellular metabolism and its dysregulation plays a key role in the biochemistry of the onset of many diseases, such as cancer, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegeneration.

In light of the historical moment following the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the attention of the entire scientific community was focused on the development and therapeutic potential of new molecules, this Special Issue aims to bring together new scientific research aimed at outlining advances in the discovery of new enzyme functions and metabolic pathways, studying the potential effects of natural compounds on cell metabolism and human health.

The antioxidant properties of natural compounds are emerging as effective agents against many chronic and progressive human diseases related to aging by reducing oxidative stress and simultaneously suppressing free radicals and the formation of reactive oxygen species in various metabolic reactions at the cellular level.

In this context, the multiplicity of bioactive molecules that presents in nature, which is associated with a potential metabolic effect, represents an excellent option to improve immune response against disease and can be a valid alternative to synthetic drugs. Knowledge of the mechanisms involving the alteration of energy metabolism, the overproduction of reactive oxygen species, and the imbalance between cell proliferation and death represent useful tools with which to create new and more effective therapeutic approaches to ensure a better quality of life. Therefore, the study of potential natural mediators of cellular metabolism has become an interesting research topic.

In this Special Issue, the main focus will be on the involvement of natural compounds on cell metabolism under physiological conditions and the potential antioxidant activities against disease progression. It is possible to improve this new field with original research articles and/or reviews.

Prof. Dr. Ester Tellone
Dr. Annamaria Russo
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • antioxidants
  • metabolic pathways
  • dietary intake
  • blood cells
  • bioactive compounds

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 6098 KiB  
Article
Exogenous Alpha-Ketoglutaric Acid Alleviates the Rabbit Dermal Papilla Cell Oxidative Damage Caused by Hydrogen Peroxide Through the ERK/Nrf2 Signaling Pathway
by Xiaosong Wang, Shu Li, Jiali Chen, Lei Liu and Fuchang Li
Antioxidants 2025, 14(4), 455; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14040455 - 11 Apr 2025
Viewed by 286
Abstract
As an endogenous metabolite, α-ketoglutarate (AKG) exhibits potent antioxidant properties, yet its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Dermal Papilla Cells (DPCs), functioning as the regulatory hub of hair follicle morphogenesis, serve as a pivotal model system for deciphering follicular functionality and regeneration mechanisms through [...] Read more.
As an endogenous metabolite, α-ketoglutarate (AKG) exhibits potent antioxidant properties, yet its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Dermal Papilla Cells (DPCs), functioning as the regulatory hub of hair follicle morphogenesis, serve as a pivotal model system for deciphering follicular functionality and regeneration mechanisms through their orchestration of signaling networks. Using a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress model in DPCs, we investigated AKG’s protective effects. AKG attenuated H2O2-triggered reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction, restored mitochondrial membrane potential, and suppressed apoptosis-related protein dysregulation. It enhanced cellular stress resistance by increasing the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, boosting antioxidant levels, and inhibiting inflammation. Mechanistically, H2O2 activated the Nrf2 pathway, while AKG amplified Nrf2 nuclear translocation and expression. Crucially, ERK inhibition abrogated AKG-mediated Nrf2 regulation, intensifying ROS accumulation and cell death. These results identify the ERK/Nrf2 axis as central to AKG’s antioxidative cytoprotection. This study advances AKG’s therapeutic potential and deepens insights into its multifunctional roles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidant Effects of Natural Compounds on Cell Metabolism)
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