Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Metabolic Diseases: Therapeutic Roles of Plant Natural Products

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 264

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa
Interests: functional food; toxicology; metabolic diseases; natural products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Center for Quality of Health and Living, Faculty of Health Sciences, Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa
Interests: functional food; diabetes; oxidative stress; medicinal plant
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metabolic diseases, including diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disorders, are increasingly prevalent and are often driven by oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. These interconnected biological processes exacerbate disease progression, leading to severe complications. Oxidative stress results from an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the body’s antioxidant defense mechanisms, while inflammation contributes to tissue damage and dysfunction. Together, these factors play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of various metabolic disorders, posing significant challenges for effective treatment.

Plant natural products, including phytochemicals, plant-based functional foods, and nutraceuticals, have garnered attention as promising therapeutic agents due to their antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. These bioactive compounds are seen as effective complementary treatments with minimal toxicity, offering a holistic approach to managing oxidative stress-related metabolic diseases. Evidence suggests that certain plant-derived products can modulate oxidative pathways and inflammatory responses, presenting an opportunity for alternative or adjunctive therapies in the management of these diseases.

This Special Issue invites original research articles, clinical studies, and well-written reviews that explore the therapeutic potential of plant natural products in combating oxidative stress and inflammation within the context of metabolic diseases. We aim to gather comprehensive insights into how phytochemicals and plant-based products may serve as valuable therapeutic tools in mitigating the impact of metabolic disorders, offering novel perspectives for the treatment of multifactorial diseases and bridging existing gaps in the current scientific understanding.

Dr. Ochuko Lucky Erukainure
Dr. Chika Ifeanyi Chukwuma
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • phytochemicals
  • functional foods
  • oxidative stress
  • inflammation
  • metabolic diseases
  • natural plant products
  • therapeutic roles

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

48 pages, 1375 KiB  
Review
Tea Consumption and Diabetes: A Comprehensive Pharmacological Review of Black, White, Green, Oolong, and Pu-erh Teas
by Ochuko L. Erukainure, Chika I. Chukwuma, Jennifer Nambooze, Satyajit Tripathy, Veronica F. Salau, Kolawole Olofinsan, Akingbolabo D. Ogunlakin, Osaretin A. T. Ebuehi and Jeremiah O. Unuofin
Plants 2025, 14(13), 1898; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14131898 - 20 Jun 2025
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Abstract
Diabetes is one of the major non-communicable diseases whose physiological complications are linked with a higher risk of mortality amongst the adult age group of people living globally. This review article documents updated pharmacological evidence and insights into the antidiabetic mechanisms of green, [...] Read more.
Diabetes is one of the major non-communicable diseases whose physiological complications are linked with a higher risk of mortality amongst the adult age group of people living globally. This review article documents updated pharmacological evidence and insights into the antidiabetic mechanisms of green, black, white, oolong, and pu-erh teas via reported experimental and clinical models toward encouraging their use as a complementary nutraceutical in managing the biochemical alterations found in the onset and progression of diabetes. Peer-reviewed articles published in “PubMed”, “Google Scholar”, and “ScienceDirect” from 2010 and beyond that reported the antidiabetic, antilipidemic, and digestive enzyme inhibitory effects of the selected tea types were identified. The keywords used for the literature search comprise the common or scientific names of the tea and their corresponding bioactivity. Although teas portrayed different antidiabetic pharmacological properties linked to their bioactive components, including polyphenols, polysaccharides, and amino acids, the type of phytochemical found in each tea type depends on their processing. Green tea’s strong carbohydrate digestive enzyme inhibitory effect was linked with Ellagitannins and catechins, whereas theaflavin, a main ingredient in black tea, increases insulin sensitivity via enhancing GLUT4 translocation. Theabrownin in pu-erh tea improves FBG and lipid metabolism, while chemical components in white tea attenuate prediabetes-mediated reproductive dysfunctions by improving testicular tissue antioxidant capabilities. Based on the body of findings presented in this article, it is evident that integrating tea intake into daily food consumption routines could offer a promising practical solution to support human health and well-being against diabetes disease. Full article
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