Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Potential of Natural Products in the Management of Diabetes and Its Complications
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: 28 February 2026
Special Issue Editor
Interests: type 2 diabetes; obesity; oxidative stress; metabolomics; natural products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Diabetes is among the most pressing global health challenges, contributing significantly to morbidity and premature mortality associated with chronic diseases. It is a multifactorial metabolic disorder characterized by pancreatic dysfunction, insulin resistance, and/or impaired insulin secretion, leading to chronic hyperglycemia. The increasing worldwide prevalence of diabetes imposes enormous socio-economic costs and reduces quality of life. Oxidative stress, an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defenses, plays a major role in the pathogenesis and progression of diabetes and its complications, including cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy.
Natural products have long been recognized for their medicinal value. These bioactive metabolites, including polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenes, exhibit remarkable antioxidant properties that counteract oxidative damage, restore redox balance, and protect cellular integrity. In addition to their antioxidant potentials, natural products demonstrate antidiabetic effects by improving insulin sensitivity, enhancing glucose uptake, modulating carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes, and regulating lipid metabolism. This dual functionality positions natural products as promising therapeutic candidates for preventing and managing diabetes and its associated complications.
This Special Issue seeks to advance our understanding of the antioxidant and antidiabetic therapeutic potential of natural products. We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and short communications addressing the following:
- The identification, characterization, and isolation of phytochemicals with antioxidant and/or antidiabetic activities.
- Mechanistic insights into how natural products modulate oxidative stress pathways, insulin signaling, glucose homeostasis, and metabolic regulation.
- Preclinical and clinical studies assessing the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of natural product-based interventions.
- Integrative approaches, including metabolomics, molecular docking, systems biology, and computational modeling, used to explore therapeutic pathways.
- Novel formulations, delivery systems, and synergistic combinations of natural products for improved therapeutic outcomes.
By bringing together cutting-edge research in this field, this collection aims to highlight natural products as powerful agents in addressing the dual burden of oxidative stress and diabetes, paving the way for innovative and accessible therapeutic strategies with global health relevance.
Dr. Ochuko Lucky L. Erukainure
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- diabetes
- natural products
- obesity
- medicinal plants
- oxidative stress
- antioxidants
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