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Natural Antioxidants—Sources, Characteristics, and Biological Activity

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioactives and Nutraceuticals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 506

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Organic Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 211 A, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
Interests: antioxidants; antisense oligonucleotides; photodynamic therapy; senotherapeutics; molecular modeling; computer aided drug design
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Oxidative stress plays a central role in the progression of numerous pathological conditions. It arises from an imbalance between the production of reactive species—such as reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, and reactive sulfur species—and the body’s capacity to neutralize them. These reactive species can damage key biomolecules, including lipids, proteins, and DNA, leading to cellular dysfunction and triggering inflammatory responses. Natural antioxidants, sourced from plants, microbes, and marine organisms, have garnered significant interest due to their ability to counteract oxidative damage. They are capable of exhibiting synergistic effects when combined or used in specific formulations, enhancing their bioavailability and efficacy. Understanding their structure–activity relationships and mechanisms of action will be crucial for guiding future drug development and nutraceutical innovation. However, the full potential of nature’s antioxidant repertoire remains largely unexplored, despite extensive global research efforts. A multitude of novel compounds are yet to be isolated and characterized, offering promising avenues for improving human health and advancing therapeutic strategies.

Dr. Maciej Spiegel
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • natural antioxidants
  • oxidative stress
  • reactive oxygen species
  • inflammation
  • free radicals
  • structure–activity relationship
  • nutraceuticals
  • synergistic effects
  • plant-derived compounds
  • drug discovery

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 746 KB  
Article
Are Algae a Good Source of Antioxidants? Mechanistic Insights into Antiradical Activity of Eckol
by Maciej Spiegel
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(18), 9223; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26189223 - 21 Sep 2025
Viewed by 286
Abstract
Eckol (Eck), a polyphenolic compound of marine origin, exhibits strong scavenging activity against hydroperoxyl radicals. This study explores its acid-base speciation in aqueous media and evaluates its antioxidant potential through electronic, thermochemical, and kinetic analyses under biologically relevant conditions. The deprotonated [...] Read more.
Eckol (Eck), a polyphenolic compound of marine origin, exhibits strong scavenging activity against hydroperoxyl radicals. This study explores its acid-base speciation in aqueous media and evaluates its antioxidant potential through electronic, thermochemical, and kinetic analyses under biologically relevant conditions. The deprotonated species of Eck display exceptionally high rate constants for hydrogen atom transfer, indicating a potent antiradical mechanism. The apparent rate constant, accounting for species distribution at physiological pH and the molar fraction of OOH, was calculated as 1.09 × 107 M−1·s−1. Compared to related compounds, Eck demonstrates outstanding hydroperoxyl radical-scavenging capacity, supporting its potential as a natural antioxidant in biological systems. Full article
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