New Mechanisms of Action of Natural Antioxidants in Health and Disease

Dear Colleagues, The current understanding of the complex role of ROS in the organism and pathological sequelae of oxidative stress points to the necessity of comprehensive studies of antioxidant reactivities and interactions with cellular constituents. Many of the protective actions of natural antioxidants in health and diseases have been ascribed to their antioxidant properties, but in the last years, many studies have suggested that their classical hydrogen-donating antioxidant activity is unlikely to be the sole explanation for their effects. First of all, natural antioxidants are broadly metabolized in vivo, resulting in significant modifications. Moreover, the concentrations of natural antioxidants and their metabolites in vivo are lower than that usually utilized in vitro. Consequently, natural antioxidants do not exert their biological action in vivo via simply reacting with ROS. Accumulating evidence suggests that the cellular effects of natural antioxidants may be mediated by their interactions with specific proteins central to intracellular signaling cascades, modulating the expression and activity of key proteins, influencing epigenetic mechanisms or modulating gut microbiota. We invite you to submit your research findings to this Special Issue, which has the aim to present the current state-of-the-art on new mechanisms of action of natural antioxidants in both health and disease. The research can include both in vitro and in vivo studies related to the following topics: antioxidant metabolism and bioavailability, signal transduction modulation, genomic and proteomic studies of purified molecules or antioxidant rich extracts, epigenetic regulation, cell cycle, cytoprotection, and cytotoxicity. Original research articles, review articles, clinical trials, and meta-analyzing studies are welcome. Prof. Dr. Silvana Hrelia Prof. Dr. Cristina Angeloni Guest Editors