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Antioxidants
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Natural Products to Mitigate Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Non-Communicable...
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Natural Products to Mitigate Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Non-Communicable Intestinal Diseases

A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 2294

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Carlos Martins-Gomes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: biochemistry; cell biology; bioactivities of natural products; phytochemistry; inflammation; oxidative stress; intestinal diseases
Prof. Dr. Amélia M. Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Biology and Environment, School of Life Sciences and Environment, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
2. Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB-UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: cell biology; biochemistry; cell-based assays; evaluation of bioactivities of natural compounds; phytochemicals; nutraceuticals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The incidence of non-communicable intestinal diseases is increasing worldwide and represents a significant burden for the healthcare sector. Among these, colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases (e.g., Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) stand out as pathologies with a significant impact on the quality of life of countless patients and, in the case of colorectal cancer, with high mortality rates. The onset of these pathologies is linked to genetic factors, but also to unhealthy dietary habits and alcohol or tobacco use, which contribute to oxidative and inflammatory events at the intestinal level. The treatment options currently available are often expensive, have severe side effects, and patients can develop resistance to treatment. For this reason, there is an urgent need to study the potential of dietary products to prevent the onset of these pathologies, or natural products that can be sources of nutraceuticals with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative activity.

Therefore, this Special Issue aims to cover a selection of research papers and reviews that expand and deepen the knowledge of the potential of natural products as dietary antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents or as sources of new lead compounds for the treatment and/or prevention of non-communicable intestinal diseases. We welcome studies reporting the action of natural compounds as novel anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer agents, with emphasis on the mechanisms of action and molecular targets, evaluated using in vivo and in vitro methods.

Dr. Carlos Martins-Gomes
Prof. Dr. Amélia M. Silva
Guest Editors

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • natural bioactives
  • phytochemicals
  • oxidative stress
  • inflammation
  • non-communicable intestinal diseases
  • colorectal cancer
  • inflammatory bowel diseases
  • signalling pathways

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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22 pages, 17875 KB  
Article
Astragaloside IV from Astragalus membranaceus Fisch. ex Bunge Mitigates DSS-Induced Colitis via Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Modulation of the Gut–Liver–Brain Axis
by Woo-Gyun Choi and Byung Joo Kim
Antioxidants 2026, 15(4), 474; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15040474 - 10 Apr 2026
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Abstract
Background: Astragalus membranaceus Fisch. ex Bunge has long been used in East Asian medicine for gastrointestinal disorders and immune modulation. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), a major bioactive saponin from its roots, exhibits potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, yet its protective effects against inflammatory bowel [...] Read more.
Background: Astragalus membranaceus Fisch. ex Bunge has long been used in East Asian medicine for gastrointestinal disorders and immune modulation. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), a major bioactive saponin from its roots, exhibits potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, yet its protective effects against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-associated multi-organ damage via the gut–liver–brain axis remain unclear. Methods: Experimental colitis was induced in C57BL/6N mice by administering 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water for seven days. AS-IV (100 mg/kg/day) was orally administered during DSS exposure. Disease severity was evaluated using body weight, colon length, disease activity index, and histopathology. Inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers were measured using ELISA, and NF-κB and MAPK signaling were analyzed through Western blotting and immunohistochemistry in colonic, hepatic, and brain tissues. Results: AS-IV significantly alleviated DSS-induced weight loss, disease activity, and colon shortening, while improving intestinal histopathological damage. AS-IV also reduced systemic pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and oxidative stress. Mechanistically, AS-IV was associated with a reduced expression of phosphorylated NF-κB and MAPK proteins, including p-NF-κB, p-IκBα, p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-p38, across the colon, liver, and brain. Conclusions: AS-IV attenuates DSS-induced multi-organ inflammation via gut–liver–brain axis modulation through NF-κB and MAPK pathway inhibition in experimental colitis models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products to Mitigate Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Non-Communicable Intestinal Diseases)
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29 pages, 3442 KB  
Article
Momordica charantia L. Confers Multifaceted Protection Against 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Intestinal Injury via Inhibition of Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, and Tight Junction Disruption
by Wen-Ping Jiang, Jaung-Geng Lin, Atsushi Inose, Wen-Liang Wu, Song-Jie Chiang and Guan-Jhong Huang
Antioxidants 2026, 15(4), 431; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15040431 - 30 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 726
Abstract
Momordica charantia L. (MC), also referred to as bitter gourd or bitter melon, is a Cucurbi taceae plant renowned for its medicinal benefits. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is employed as a frontline chemotherapeutic agent, with its antitumor activity mediated through the inhibition of DNA and [...] Read more.
Momordica charantia L. (MC), also referred to as bitter gourd or bitter melon, is a Cucurbi taceae plant renowned for its medicinal benefits. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is employed as a frontline chemotherapeutic agent, with its antitumor activity mediated through the inhibition of DNA and RNA synthesis. However, its therapeutic efficacy is often compromised by serious adverse effects, particularly gastrointestinal inflammation. Therefore, this research examined the efficacy of the ethanolic extract of Momordica charantia fruit (EMC) in mitigating 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis in mice. Mucositis was induced in mice by intraperitoneal administration of 5-FU at 50 mg/kg from experimental days 4 to 7, with EMC administered orally at doses of 125 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg once daily for ten consecutive days. 5-FU exposure resulted in severe intestinal injury, manifested by markedly upregulated inflammation and oxidative stress. EMC treatment significantly reversed these pathophysiological alterations, restoring mucosal architecture and function. Furthermore, EMC effectively reduced the 5-FU-induced release of inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress markers. These results demonstrate that EMC acts as a novel protective modulator of 5-FU-induced mucositis, offering substantial translational potential as an adjunctive supportive therapy in colorectal cancer management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products to Mitigate Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Non-Communicable Intestinal Diseases)
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