Antioxidants—Key Players in Innovative Pharmaceutical Products and Food Supplements

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmaceutical Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2025) | Viewed by 4290

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Biochemist (PhD in Medicine), Independent Researcher, Bucharest, Romania
Interests: biochemistry of free radicals; antioxidants; nutritional supplements; oxidative stress in pathological conditions

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Guest Editor
Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1-3 Portocalelor Street, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: natural product chemistry; pharmacology; biomarkers; antioxidants; oxidative stress; microbiology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since the late 1970s, when the term "oxidative stress" was coined by Helmut Sies, we have witnessed the growth of a field revolving around free radicals and antioxidants. Free radicals play a pivotal role in aging and various diseases like cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, antioxidants have garnered attention as potential prophylactic and therapeutic agents. However, antioxidants’ delivery through conventional dosage forms, e.g., tablets, capsules, dragées etc has some shortcomings. Issues such as high lipophilicity, instability, and extensive first-pass metabolism limit their bioavailability. Innovative drug delivery systems offer a solution, enhancing bioavailability and targeting specific tissues. Apart from their use as active substances, antioxidants have attracted attention as technical compounds that potentially limit nitrosamine formation and oxidative modifications in pharmaceuticals and food supplements.

This Special Issue of Life focuses on recent theoretical and experimental advancements in antioxidant delivery methods and the application of antioxidants as technical compounds.

Dr. Bogdan Manolescu
Dr. Eliza Oprea
Dr. Magdalena Mititelu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • antioxidants
  • delivery systems
  • controlled release
  • bioavailability
  • bioactive natural products
  • food supplements

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3262 KiB  
Article
Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) Juice Supplementation Affects Age-Related Myocardial Remodeling in Rats
by Elena Daskalova, Mina Pencheva, Slavi Delchev, Lyudmila Vladimirova-Kitova, Spas Kitov, Stoyan Markov, David Baruh and Petko Denev
Life 2025, 15(1), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15010023 - 28 Dec 2024
Viewed by 876
Abstract
Background: Cardiac aging is associated with myocardial remodeling and reduced angiogenesis. Counteracting these changes with natural products is a preventive strategy with great potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice (AMJ) supplementation on age-related [...] Read more.
Background: Cardiac aging is associated with myocardial remodeling and reduced angiogenesis. Counteracting these changes with natural products is a preventive strategy with great potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice (AMJ) supplementation on age-related myocardial remodeling in aged rat hearts. Methods: Healthy male Wistar rats (n = 24) were divided into three groups: (1) young controls (CY)—age 2 months; (2) old controls (CO)—age 27 months; (3) AMJ group—27-month-old animals, supplemented with Aronia melanocarpa juice (AMJ) at a dose of 10 mL∙kg−1 for 105 days. After this period, the hearts of the animals were fixed, embedded in paraffin, and immunohistochemical and morphometric analyses were performed. Results: A higher vascular and capillary density was found in the hearts of the AMJ group, as compared to CO. The mean number of CD34+ cells in the myocardium increased by 18.6% in the AMJ group, as compared to CO (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) immunoexpression in the myocardium increased by 37% (p < 0.05) and the Proto-oncogene Mas receptor (MAS1) immunoexpression increased by 6% (p < 0.05) in the AMJ group, as compared to CO. Conclusions: As a result of the application of AMJ, noticeable neovascularization was found, which indicates improved myocardial nourishment. The present study demonstrates for the first time that polyphenol-rich AMJ can positively influence age-related microvascular myocardial remodeling in rats, thus outlining its potential as a preventive agent for healthy cardiac aging. Full article
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20 pages, 9546 KiB  
Article
Biofabrication of Silver Nanoparticles Using Pergularia tomentosa Extract and Evaluation of Their Antibacterial, Antioxidant, and Cytotoxic Properties
by Munirah F. Aldayel
Life 2024, 14(12), 1639; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14121639 - 10 Dec 2024
Viewed by 913
Abstract
The biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using plant extracts is a promising field of research because of the useful biomedical applications of metal nanoparticles. In this study, the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of silver nanoparticles biosynthesized with the aqueous leaf extract of Pergularia tomentosa [...] Read more.
The biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using plant extracts is a promising field of research because of the useful biomedical applications of metal nanoparticles. In this study, the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of silver nanoparticles biosynthesized with the aqueous leaf extract of Pergularia tomentosa were defined using a simple, eco-friendly, consistent, and cost-effective method. The leaf extract of Pergularia tomentosa (PT) served as a capping and reducing agent to biosynthesize silver nanoparticles. The effects of several parameters, such as the concentration of AgNO3, ratio of AgNO3 to extract, pH, and incubation time, were examined to optimize the synthesis process. In total, 5 mM of AgNO3, a 1:0.06 ratio of AgNO3 to Pergularia tomentosa extract, pH 9.0, and reaction mixture incubation for 24 h were found to be the ideal parameters for biosynthesizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the biosynthesized Pergularia tomentosa silver nanoparticles (PT-AgNPs). Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella enteritides and Escherichia coli) were used to test the PT-AgNPs’ antibacterial activity. The presence of different functional groups was determined using FTIR. The AgNPs were hexagon shaped. The nanoparticles were more toxic against S. enteritides than both B. cereus and E. coli. In antioxidant analyses, the AgNPs were found to be as strong at free radical scavenging as gallic acid (standard), with IC50 values of 0.69 and 22.30 μg/mL for DPPH and ABTS radicals, respectively. Interestingly, the PT-AgNPs displayed increased anti-inflammatory activity compared with the P. tomentosa leaf extract (79% vs. 59% at 500 µg/mL). The PT-AgNPs did not display any cytotoxicity against the MCF-7 cell line at the MIC. In conclusion, silver nanoparticles fortified with Pergularia tomentosa extract exhibited potential as effective antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant agents, suggesting their viability as alternatives to commercially available products. Full article
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23 pages, 2779 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Selected Folk Herbs on the Fertility of Sprague Dawley Male Rats: Biochemical, Histological, and Molecular Investigations
by Rana R. Khalaf, Salma Khazaal, Noura S. Abouzeinab and Mahmoud I. Khalil
Life 2024, 14(12), 1620; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14121620 - 6 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1355
Abstract
Scientists have shown great interest in traditional plant extracts, particularly Lepidium sativum (LS), Origanum majorana (OM), Ferula hermonis (FH), and Eruca sativa (ES), which are frequ ently used to improve health. Recently, attention has been directed toward their influence on spermatogenesis and male fertility. [...] Read more.
Scientists have shown great interest in traditional plant extracts, particularly Lepidium sativum (LS), Origanum majorana (OM), Ferula hermonis (FH), and Eruca sativa (ES), which are frequ ently used to improve health. Recently, attention has been directed toward their influence on spermatogenesis and male fertility. Hence, the objective of this study was to explore their impact on male rats’ fertility. Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content (TPC) were determined, along with the identification and quantification of phenolic compounds. Oral administration of aqueous extracts was performed individually or as a mixture (MIX) at a dose of 100 mg/kg in 28 male Sprague Dawley rats over a 60-day period. Organ weight, sex hormone concentrations, sperm parameters, oxidative stress markers, histological and morphometric analysis, and protein expression levels were investigated. OM and MIX showed the highest TPC and antioxidant activities, and MIX possessed the highest polyphenolic constituents. Elevated serum testosterone, epididymal sperm concentration, testes glutathione levels, and histomorphometric parameters were manifested in all groups, especially in MIX. MIX group also displayed elevated levels of vimentin, protein kinase B, and mTOR expression in the testes, complemented by declined expression of Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN). In conclusion, these findings propose that these extracts, especially MIX followed by OM, enhance fertility by stimulating spermatogenesis. Full article
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