International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Shu-Lan Yeh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
Interests: phytochemicals; flavonoid; quercetin; antioxidant; antiinflammation; cancer; chronic inflammatory diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The natural antioxidants found in vegetables and fruits can help protect against many diseases, including heart disease and cancer, as well as boost brain power and slow aging. For example, vitamin E and beta-carotene protect cell membranes; vitamin C can expel free radicals from cells. This Special Issue entitled “Role of Natural Antioxidants in Human Health” will discuss the recent advances in molecular mechanisms of natural products in human health.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

the discovery of novel bioactive natural antioxidants
the good or bad effects of these compounds in human health and the molecular mechanisms
the use of in vitro and in vivo bioactivity research using cell lines and animal models as exemplars of human physiology
the interaction of nature antioxidants with other agents including chemotherapeutical drugs

It is better that the exact active ingredient of natural origin extract is reported in the submitted research manuscript, since papers describing the effects of mixed extraction from natural origin are not in the scope of the journal.

Dr. Shu-Lan Yeh
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

natural antioxidant
phytochemicals
flavonoid
quercetin
antioxidant
anti-inflammation
cancer
chronic inflammatory diseases

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

14 pages, 2472 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Dried Onion Powder and Quercetin on Obesity-Associated Hepatic Menifestation and Retinopathy

by Wen-Lung Chang, Pei-Yi Liu, Shu-Lan Yeh and Huei-Jane Lee

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11091; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911091 - 21 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1763

Abstract

Onion (Allium cepa L.), rich in flavonoids (particularly quercetin), reportedly has anti-obesity properties, but the underlying mechanisms and associated health issues remain unclear. In this study, we compared the effects of dried onion powder (DO) with that of quercetin on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and retinal neovascularization. Briefly, rats (n = 9–10 per group) were divided into control, HFD alone (43% fat), HFD + DO (1% DO), HFD + 5DO (5% DO, w/w), and HFD + quercetin (180 mg/kg). After 12 weeks, body fat, markers of metabolism, fatty liver, steatohepatitis, and retinopathy were analyzed. The results revealed that DO and 5DO dose-dependently suppressed body weight, visceral and subcutaneous fat accumulation, and epididymal adipocyte in HFD-fed rats. DO also decreased HFD-induced ALT, AST, free fatty acid, glucose, proinflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress. DO and 5DO groups had lower triglycerides, total cholesterol, proinflammatory cytokine levels, and ACC-α (a fatty acid synthesis–associated enzyme) expression but higher hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities and fecal lipids. 5DO exhibited better or similar efficacy to quercetin. Both 5DO and quercetin increased fecal levels of acetic acid and butyric acid similarly. They also reduced lipid peroxidation of the eye, retinal adiposity, and neovascularization. However, quercetin resulted in a more apparent decrease in regulation of the Raf/MAPK pathway than DO in eye specimens. Conclusively, DO suppresses visceral, subcutaneous, and liver fat accumulation better than quercetin likely due to higher fecal fat excretion and lower oxidative stress, proinflammatory cytokine levels, and ACC-α expression. Quercetin regulating signal pathways is better than DO at reducing retinal adiposity and neovascularization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Natural Antioxidants in Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Role of Natural Antioxidants in Human Health

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI