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Natural Active Compounds in Inflammation and Metabolic Diseases

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemicals and Human Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2025 | Viewed by 485

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
2. Kim Kijoon BOM Clinic, Seoul 05554, Republic of Korea
3. BOM Institute of Nutrition and Natural Medicine, Seoul 05554, Republic of Korea
Interests: flavonoids; nutrition; human nutrition; nutrition assessment; nutritional epidemiology; nutrition education; nutritional medicine; child nutrition
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inflammation plays a central role in the pathogenesis of various metabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. Recent advances in research have highlighted the potential of natural active compounds, derived from plants, herbs, and other natural sources, to modulate inflammatory pathways. These compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and terpenoids, have demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory properties, which can mitigate the development and progression of metabolic diseases.

This Special Issue, titled Natural Active Compounds in Inflammation and Metabolic Diseases, aims to gather high-quality research that investigates the mechanistic roles of these natural compounds in inflammation and their therapeutic potential in the context of metabolic disorders. By exploring the interactions between natural compounds and inflammatory processes, we seek to foster a deeper understanding of their impact on metabolic health and provide insights into novel preventive and therapeutic strategies.

We welcome submissions that explore the anti-inflammatory effects of specific compounds, their molecular targets, and their clinical relevance in managing metabolic diseases.

Prof. Dr. Kijoon Kim
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • natural compounds
  • inflammation
  • metabolic diseases
  • polyphenols
  • flavonoids
  • terpenoids
  • anti-inflammatory
  • therapeutic

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

25 pages, 8728 KiB  
Article
Trans-Sodium Crocetinate Ameliorates High-Altitude Acute Lung Injury via Modulating EGFR/PI3K/AKT/NF-κB Signaling Axis
by Keke Liang, Yanlin Ta, Liang Xu, Shuhe Ma, Renjie Wang, Chenrong Xiao, Yue Gao and Maoxing Li
Nutrients 2025, 17(15), 2406; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17152406 - 23 Jul 2025
Viewed by 64
Abstract
Objectives: Saffron, a traditional Chinese medicine, is renowned for its pharmacological effects in promoting blood circulation, resolving blood stasis, regulating menstruation, detoxification, and alleviating mental disturbances. Trans-crocetin, its principal bioactive component, exhibits significant anti-hypoxic activity. The clinical development and therapeutic efficacy of [...] Read more.
Objectives: Saffron, a traditional Chinese medicine, is renowned for its pharmacological effects in promoting blood circulation, resolving blood stasis, regulating menstruation, detoxification, and alleviating mental disturbances. Trans-crocetin, its principal bioactive component, exhibits significant anti-hypoxic activity. The clinical development and therapeutic efficacy of trans-crocetin are limited by its instability, poor solubility, and low bioavailability. Conversion of trans-crocetin into trans-sodium crocetinate (TSC) enhances its solubility, stability, and bioavailability, thereby amplifying its anti-hypoxic potential. Methods: This study integrates network pharmacology with in vivo and in vitro validation to elucidate the molecular targets and mechanisms underlying TSC’s therapeutic effects against high-altitude acute lung injury (HALI), aiming to identify novel treatment strategies. Results: TSC effectively reversed hypoxia-induced biochemical abnormalities, ameliorated lung histopathological damage, and suppressed systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in HALI rats. In vitro, TSC mitigated CoCl2-induced hypoxia injury in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) by reducing inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and ROS accumulation while restoring mitochondrial membrane potential. Network pharmacology and pathway analysis revealed that TSC primarily targets the EGFR/PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling axis. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations demonstrated stable binding interactions between TSC and key components of this pathway. ELISA and RT-qPCR confirmed that TSC significantly downregulated the expression of EGFR, PI3K, AKT, NF-κB, and their associated mRNAs. Conclusions: TSC alleviates high-altitude hypoxia-induced lung injury by inhibiting the EGFR/PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby attenuating inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, and restoring mitochondrial function. These findings highlight TSC as a promising therapeutic agent for HALI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Active Compounds in Inflammation and Metabolic Diseases)
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