Dissecting Redox Duality: Insights into Antioxidant–Prooxidant Switching and Modulation Strategies for Better Health and Biotechnological Outcomes

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: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 6

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Instituto de Química e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceio, Brazil
Interests: oxidative-stress-based diseases; antioxidants; bioactive plant products; biomarkers, molecular electrochemistry
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Oxidative stress has emerged over the past three decades as a pivotal concept in medicine and biology, bridging disciplines from chemistry and biochemistry to physiology, pathophysiology, and clinical research. Central to this field is the paradoxical behavior of antioxidants, which can act as both protective radical scavengers and harmful prooxidant generators depending on environmental and biochemical context.

This redox switch mechanism—where antioxidants transition between beneficial and detrimental roles—has sparked renewed interest in understanding and harnessing redox dynamics for therapeutic gain. The nuanced nature of antioxidant efficacy demands a context-aware, mechanistically precise approach to modulation.

Topics deeply related to this dichotomy can be highlighted.

Electrochemistry studies the movement of electrons during chemical reactions—especially oxidation and reduction. Since antioxidants work by donating or accepting electrons to neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS), electrochemical techniques are ideal for probing their behavior as a molecular lens.

Electrochemistry is the compass that helps navigate antioxidant duality. It provides quantitative redox profiles, predictive insights into behavior shifts, and a foundation for designing safer, smarter redox therapies.

Targeted Redox Therapy for Cancer: Regulating oxidative stress to overcome drug resistance.

Antioxidants in Neuroprotection: Reducing oxidative damage to support brain health and combat neurodegenerative diseases.

Reductive Stress vs. Oxidative Stress: Investigating the lesser-known imbalance favoring excessive reduction.

Redox Therapy in Skin Care: Developing formulations using redox-active compounds to fight aging and environmental damage.

To steer antioxidant–prooxidant behavior toward a more favorable biological impact, key modulation strategies need to be both context-aware and mechanistically precise, dealing with aspects like the following:

Environmental control;

Dose optimization;

Chemical modification;

Synergistic combinations: metal chelators, enzyme mimetics, or ROS-scavenging agents can stabilize redox behavior and prevent unwanted prooxidant effects.

Temporal and spatial targeting: delivery systems to act where and when needed—minimizing systemic prooxidant risks.

This Special Collection seeks original research articles, reviews, and methodological papers that explore the redox duality of antioxidants and innovative strategies for oxidative stress modulation of redox-active compounds. We welcome interdisciplinary approaches that span electrochemistry, biotechnology, molecular biology, pharmacology, clinical medicine, and bioengineering.

Prof. Dr. Marília O. F. Goulart
Guest Editor

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

  • redox duality
  • antioxidant paradox
  • oxidative stress modulation
  • therapeutic electrochemistry

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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