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Advances in Anti-Aging Strategies: From Phytochemicals to Clinical Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2026 | Viewed by 1006

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Guest Editor
Independent Unit of Experimental Neuropathophysiology, Department of Toxicology, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 8b, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
Interests: neuropathophysiology; neuropharmacology; experimental epileptology; memory; geroprotective strategies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing life expectancy of populations worldwide has intensified interest in nutritional strategies for supporting healthy aging. Within this context, plant-derived bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, polysaccharides, proteins, and peptides, have attracted considerable attention due to their potential to modulate the key biological processes associated with aging. Evidence from in vitro, in vivo, and human studies indicates that these compounds exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic regulatory effects, contributing to the prevention and dietary management of age-related diseases.

A critical aspect from a human nutrition perspective is the bioavailability and metabolic fate of these compounds. Many phytochemicals are not fully absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract and they reach the colon, where they are metabolized by the gut microbiota into bioactive metabolites. These metabolites may influence the host physiology by modulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic homeostasis, which are central to aging processes.

Translating these findings into practical dietary strategies and evidence-based recommendations remains a key challenge. This Special Issue aims to highlight advances in anti-aging strategies, focusing on the role of plant-derived bioactives in human nutrition, from mechanistic insights to clinical and dietary applications. Original research and comprehensive reviews are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Kinga Katarzyna Borowicz
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • healthy aging
  • geroprotective strategies
  • plant-derived bioactives
  • gut microbiota
  • clinical nutrition
  • dietary interventions
  • age-related diseases
  • nutraceuticals

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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33 pages, 4590 KB  
Article
Comparative Bioassay-Guided Fractionation of Citrus Species: Phytochemical Characterization and Nanoformulation of a Polyphenol-Rich Leaf Fraction from Citrus aurantifolia for Skin Anti-Aging Applications
by Noha Swilam, Khaled A. Nematallah, Amgad Albohy, Noha M. Badawi, Sameh S. Gad, Maha M. Shouman, Saeed S. Al-Ghamdi, Abdullah R. Alzahrani and Nahla Ayoub
Nutrients 2026, 18(13), 2130; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18132130 - 1 Jul 2026
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Abstract
Background: Skin aging is driven by oxidative stress and ultraviolet (UV) exposure, leading to extracellular matrix degradation and loss of skin elasticity. This study aimed to identify the most biologically active Citrus species using a bioassay-guided approach and evaluate its potential for dermal [...] Read more.
Background: Skin aging is driven by oxidative stress and ultraviolet (UV) exposure, leading to extracellular matrix degradation and loss of skin elasticity. This study aimed to identify the most biologically active Citrus species using a bioassay-guided approach and evaluate its potential for dermal applications. Methods: Hydroalcohol extracts and ethyl acetate fractions of Citrus sinensis, Citrus aurantifolia, and Citrus reticulata leaves were screened for antioxidant, enzyme-inhibitory, and polyphenol content. The most active fraction was characterized by UPLC-PDA and LC–MS/MS, formulated into Span-based nanovesicles, and evaluated for physicochemical properties and drug release. Biological activity was assessed using an in vitro scratch wound-healing assay on human dermal fibroblasts and a UVA-induced photoaging mouse model, supported by molecular dynamics simulations. Results: The ethyl acetate fraction of C. aurantifolia (CAE) exhibited the highest biological activity among the tested samples. This fraction showed potent antioxidant activity (DPPH IC50 = 3.53 ± 0.05 µg/mL), marked inhibition of elastase (91.3%), collagenase (92.0%), and tyrosinase (80.2%), and a high total flavonoid content (110.49 mg rutin equivalents/g). Phytochemical profiling of CAE tentatively identified fourteen compounds, predominantly flavonoids, with hesperidin (30.4 mg/g) as a major constituent. The optimized nanovesicles (184 ± 0.9 nm, PDI 0.10, EE% 75.0%) enabled sustained hesperidin release. CAE and CAEnp enhanced fibroblast migration and accelerated wound closure at 24 h (p < 0.05). In vivo, CAEnp improved UVA-induced histopathological alterations and modulated oxidative stress-related markers by reducing p62/SQSTM1 by 28.7%, Keap1 expression to 21% compared with the CAE-treated group, and enhancing Nrf2, ARE, and NQO1 expression by 54.1%, 28.3%, and 57%, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations supported stable hesperidin binding to elastase and suggested possible modulation of collagenase flexibility. Conclusions: The polyphenol-rich leaf fraction from C. aurantifolia, identified through comparative bioassay-guided fractionation, demonstrated antioxidant, enzyme-inhibitory, wound-healing, and photoprotective effects, particularly after nanoformulation. These findings support its potential for further development as a natural topical anti-aging candidate. Full article
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Review

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17 pages, 402 KB  
Review
Geroprotective Potential of Centella asiatica: Modulation of Cellular Aging
by Kinga K. Borowicz
Nutrients 2026, 18(11), 1649; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18111649 - 22 May 2026
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Abstract
C. asiatica (L.) Urban is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional Asian medicine with potential geroprotective properties. Its major bioactive compounds—including asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid, and madecassic acid—exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, regenerative, neuroprotective, and cytoprotective activities. Experimental studies demonstrate modulation of signaling pathways [...] Read more.
C. asiatica (L.) Urban is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional Asian medicine with potential geroprotective properties. Its major bioactive compounds—including asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid, and madecassic acid—exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, regenerative, neuroprotective, and cytoprotective activities. Experimental studies demonstrate modulation of signaling pathways involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, extracellular matrix remodeling, and cellular survival, including NF-κB, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK, Nrf2/HO-1, and TGF-β/Smad pathways. Preclinical evidence further indicates attenuation of cellular senescence, improvement of mitochondrial function, enhanced collagen synthesis, and regulation of cytokine production. In experimental models, C. asiatica has shown beneficial effects on wound healing, skin aging, neuroinflammation, β-amyloid aggregation, neuroplasticity, metabolic dysfunction, and vascular protection. Preliminary preclinical findings also suggest possible effects on telomerase activity and telomere maintenance. However, clinical translation remains limited due to insufficient randomized controlled trials, low oral bioavailability of triterpenoids, variability in extract standardization, and limited pharmacokinetic and long-term safety data. This narrative review summarizes the phytochemistry, molecular mechanisms, pharmacological activities, and potential geroprotective applications of c. asiatica, highlighting its translational relevance in healthy aging and age-related disorders while emphasizing the need for standardized clinical studies. Full article
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