Editorial: The Role of Natural and Synthetic Antioxidants in the Therapeutic Targeting of Oxidative Stress

Valentina Mittova^*

• Teaching University Geomedi, Tbilisi, Georgia

accepted for clinical use. This Research Topic includes studies exploring the role of natural and synthetic antioxidants in the therapeutic targeting of oxidative stress, assessing the efficacy and the mechanisms by which antioxidants exert their effects.Plant-derived antioxidants are a large group of natural compounds possessing ROSscavenging activity (Remigante et al., 2023;Pirtskhalava et al., 2024). Despite the accumulated data on antioxidant structures and properties, the bioactivity of many natural compounds remains unknown. The action mechanism and therapeutic potential of licochalcone B, a plantderived chalcone, were examined in the extensive review by Sibhghatulla Shaikh et al.. Licochalcone B has antioxidant properties, possessing anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective effects. These diverse pharmacological activities were linked to autophagy, apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. The signalling mechanisms that modulated these responses were identified, and the potential of licochalcone B as a lead compound for drug discovery was demonstrated.The review of Amrita Ghosh et al. discusses the biological activities of Vacciniumderived anthocyanins (quercetin, myricetin and their glycosidic derivatives), which demonstrated cardioprotective, antidiabetic, anticancer, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antiviral effects. The review discusses the experimental results, which indicate that total anthocyanin, phenolic and antioxidant contents may be associated with the berry's effectiveness. However, challenges regarding in vitro and in vivo studies for elucidating the mechanism of action and health benefits for various groups of patients remain.The action of another natural antioxidant, flavonoid chrysin, against the effects of organophosphorus pesticide methidathion on ovaries was demonstrated in the study of Amany M. Hamed et al. Chrysin efficiently alleviated pesticide-induced ovarian damage, as was demonstrated by significantly improved lipid peroxidation and the content of non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants, preventing hormonal imbalance and histopathological changes in methidathion-treated rats.For the first time, the antimalarial potential of bioactive constituents derived from the bark of Schleichera oleosa was reported in the study of Peetha Vanaja et al. The novel compounds scillarenin, possessing antioxidant properties and 4-[(Z)-(6-hydroxy-3-oxo-1benzofuran-2(3H)-ylidene) methyl] phenyl beta-D-glucopyranoside were identified, using GC-MS and LC-MS. Molecular docking confirmed the strong binding affinities of these compounds to malaria target proteins 1CEQ and 4ZL4, surpassing some standard drugs in efficacy.Since oxidative damage is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative (Kamat et al., 2008) and neuropsychiatric diseases (Pandya et al., 2013), the mechanism of oxidative damage and the role of antioxidants in the prevention and treatment of these diseases were explored in several studies. Q10-diacetate possesses antioxidant properties and is not toxic under normal conditions. Q10diacetate reduced superoxide production, enhanced the expression of mitochondrial biogenesis genes, and contributed to sustained ATP synthesis under oxidative stress conditions. These findings indicate the need for an in vivo investigation into the pharmacokinetics of Q10diacetate for therapeutic application.Several studies revealed the association between the reduced expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes and the development of vascular diseases (Radovanovic et al., 2021) The studies presented in this Research Topic provide important insights into the structure and mode of action of synthetic and natural antioxidants. We are grateful to all authors, reviewers, and contributors who helped to make this Research Topic a success. Their studies have increased our comprehension of the role of antioxidants as therapeutic agents and enabled future developments in this field.