ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Antioxidants: The Molecular Guardians Against Oxidative Stress

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 789

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Interests: antioxidants; free radicals; secondary plant metabolites; functional food; neurodegenerative diseases; Alzheimer's disease; polyphenols; terpenes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The world around us is a source of the creation of a wide range of free radicals that our body has to deal with and, in addition to these external sources, there are of course also physiological sources of free radicals and oxidants that negatively affect the functioning of the body. An organism attacked by these reactive forms must protect itself, but unfortunately internal systems sometimes fail to repel these attacks. It is therefore extremely important to provide compounds with free radical scavenging potential and antioxidants, which together form a strong defence shield for our organism. Oxidative processes lead to damage to cell organelles and cell mutations, which lead to the development of many diseases, including those termed ‘diseases of civilisation’. The antioxidant shield is the first stage of our organism’s protection against disorder processes and the premature ageing of the body.

We are pleased to invite you to submit your latest manuscripts to this Special Issue of our journal ‘Antioxidants: The Molecular Guardians Against Oxidative Stress’.

This Special Issue invites articles centred on studies of plant origin extracts, essential oils, or selected secondary plant metabolites towards their antioxidant activity, evaluated in both in vitro and in vivo models. Researchers from diverse fields such as pharmacy, chemistry, and biology across the globe are encouraged to contribute their findings on plant bioactive compounds and their potential health benefits.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome and research areas may include, but are not limited to:

  • Antioxidants and free radical scavenging;
  • New analytical methods based on antioxidant activity;
  • The influence of free radicals or antioxidants on disease development;
  • The characterization of antioxidants;
  • The mechanisms of action of antioxidants or free radical scavengers;
  • Oxidative stress in human life.

Dr. Karolina A. Wojtunik-Kulesza
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

  • antioxidant
  • free radical
  • oxidative stress
  • essential oils
  • secondary plant metabolites

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 2958 KiB  
Article
Isostrictiniin Alleviates LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury via the Regulation of the Keap1-Nrf2/HO-1 and MAPK/NF-κB Signaling Pathways
by Wanting Ding, Yuan Sun, Wulipan Tuohudaali, Chenyang Li, Yuhan Yao and Jun Zhao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(12), 5912; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26125912 - 19 Jun 2025
Viewed by 189
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the preventive effects of isostrictiniin (ITN) from Nymphaea candida against acute lung injury (ALI) through lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI mice and LPS-induced A549 cells. Compared with the model group, ITN (50 and 100 mg/kg) significantly reduced the lung indexes, [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate the preventive effects of isostrictiniin (ITN) from Nymphaea candida against acute lung injury (ALI) through lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI mice and LPS-induced A549 cells. Compared with the model group, ITN (50 and 100 mg/kg) significantly reduced the lung indexes, W/D rates, BALF WBC counts, and total protein contents in ALI mice (p < 0.05), as well as the blood neu counts (p < 0.01), while increasing the blood lym counts (p < 0.01). ITN (50 and 100 mg/kg) also markedly decreased the lung tissue TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, MDA, and MPO activities in ALI mice (p < 0.01) and enhanced the SOD and GSH levels (p < 0.01). Additionally, ITN (50 and 100 mg/kg) significantly improved lung histopathological damage in ALI mice. Moreover, ITN (10 and 25 µM) significantly reduced the NO, PGE2, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and MDA levels in LPS-induced A549 cells (p < 0.01) while significantly increasing the SOD and GSH activities (p < 0.01). After LPS-induced A549 cells, the Keap1, p-JNK/JNK, p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2, p-P38/P38, p-IκBα/IκBα, and p-NF-κBp65/NF-κB p65 levels were significantly upregulated (p < 0.05), whereas the Nrf2 and HO-1 protein expressions were downregulated (p < 0.05). After treatment with ITN (25 μM), the changes in these relative protein expressions in LPS-induced A549 cells were significantly reversed (p < 0.05). The above results indicate that ITN has a better preventive effect against ALI, and its mechanisms are related to the regulation of the Keap1-Nrf2/HO-1 and MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants: The Molecular Guardians Against Oxidative Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

12 pages, 1087 KiB  
Review
Antioxidants as Modulators of NETosis: Mechanisms, Evidence, and Therapeutic Potential
by Fabiola Zambrano, Pamela Uribe, Mabel Schulz, Carlos Hermosilla, Anja Taubert and Raúl Sánchez
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(11), 5272; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26115272 - 30 May 2025
Viewed by 409
Abstract
Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation is a process known as NETosis and is a critical innate immune response mechanism that can become pathologically dysregulated in various inflammatory, autoimmune, infectious, and neoplastic diseases. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a central role in NETosis induction, [...] Read more.
Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation is a process known as NETosis and is a critical innate immune response mechanism that can become pathologically dysregulated in various inflammatory, autoimmune, infectious, and neoplastic diseases. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a central role in NETosis induction, making antioxidants a promising therapeutic approach. This review outlines the molecular mechanisms underlying NET formation and highlights three principal antioxidant-based inhibitory strategies: NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibition, ROS scavenging, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) inhibition. Evidence supports the use of agents such as diphenylene iodonium (NOX inhibitor), N-acetylcysteine and glutathione (ROS scavengers), and thiocyanate (MPO inhibitor), which significantly reduce NETosis in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, natural compounds like resveratrol show pleiotropic effects by modulating neutrophil activation, ROS production, and protease activity. Combination therapies that enhance total antioxidant capacity are particularly effective, though their translation to clinical practice faces challenges such as stimulus specificity, bioavailability, and maintaining immune competence. Antioxidant-based therapies thus represent a promising avenue for targeted NETosis modulation. Future research should focus on improving delivery systems, identifying NET-specific biomarkers, and integrating antioxidants into broader immunomodulatory strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants: The Molecular Guardians Against Oxidative Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop