Antioxidant Strategies for Metabolic Disorders
Summary
Metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease arise in part from chronic imbalances between pro-oxidant and antioxidant systems. Excess reactive oxygen species promote lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and inflammatory signalling that impair insulin sensitivity, disrupt lipid handling and compromise mitochondrial function. Antioxidant strategies aim to restore redox homeostasis through dietary, pharmacological or nutraceutical interventions. Key approaches include enhancement of endogenous defence enzymes (for example superoxide dismutase and catalase), supplementation with exogenous scavengers (notably phenolic compounds and flavonoids), modulation of redox-sensitive signalling pathways and inhibition of pro-oxidant enzyme activities such as NADPH oxidases. Integration of these interventions with lifestyle measures and metabolic control holds promise for attenuating oxidative damage, improving glycaemic regulation and reducing cardiovascular risk.
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Antioxidant Strategies for Metabolic Disorders publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in antioxidant strategies for metabolic disorders across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Chemically reactive molecules derived from oxygen, including superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide, that can damage cellular components.
Oxidative stress: A state in which the generation of ROS exceeds the capacity of antioxidant defences, leading to molecular and cellular injury.
Phenolic compounds: A class of plant secondary metabolites characterised by one or more hydroxylated aromatic rings, with potent free-radical scavenging properties.
α-Glucosidase: An intestinal enzyme that hydrolyses complex carbohydrates to glucose; its inhibition delays glucose absorption and attenuates post-prandial hyperglycaemia.
References
- Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, and Anti-Diabetic Activities of Scorzonera phaeopappa Boiss. Stresses (2023).
- An In Silico In Vitro and In Vivo Study on the Influence of an Eggplant Fruit (Solanum anguivi Lam) Diet on Metabolic Dysfunction in the Sucrose-Induced Diabetic-like Fruit Fly (Drosophila melanogaster). Foods (2024).
- Solanum aethiopicum L. from the Basilicata region as a source of specialized metabolites with promising anti-obesity effects: phytochemical characterization and in vivo investigation in high fat diet-fed mice. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2023).
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