Editorial: Nutraceuticals modulation for oxidative stress in disease and health

Oxygen is an essential component of life because it is used in aerobic respiration to generate energy from glucose. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced as by-products of cellular respiration. The enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in the cells maintain the ROS at low levels, whereby they play a physiological role in cellular signalling, differentiation, autophagy and metabolic adaptation (Sena and Chandel, 2012). When the cellular antioxidant capacity is overwhelmed by ROS, a phenomenon known as oxidative stress occurs. The excess ROS could damage macromolecules important to sustain life, such as lipids, nucleic acids and protein (Caliri et al., 2021). The accumulated damage can lead to cellular senescence or dysfunction, causing organ damage and various degenerative diseases and even cancers (Liguori et al., 2018). Oxidative stress can be triggered by many factors in the modern environment, including pollutants, radiation, smoking, alcohol, psychosocial stress, and unhealthy diets (Birch-Machin and Bowman, 2016; Kerahrodi andMichal, 2020). Since complete avoidance of factors triggering oxidative stress is not feasible, enhancing the cellular antioxidant system could be an alternative to tackle this problem. Consumption of natural products such as fruits and vegetables has been associated with various health-beneficial effects (Angelino et al., 2019; Wang et al., 2021). Natural products are rich in hydrophilic (such as flavonoids, lignans, phenolic acids, and stilbenes) and lipophilic antioxidants (such as carotenoids and tocochromanols) (Xu et al., 2017), which possess health-enhancing effects. These natural antioxidants can scavenge free radicals, terminate the lipid peroxidation chain, and modulate the cellular antioxidant response. They are also used in combination as in the case of traditional Chinese and other folk medicines to enhance the health effects. Nutraceuticals, which are substances derived from natural products used to prevent or manage chronic diseases, have been receiving attention (Nasri et al., 2014). In response to the increasing evidence of nutraceuticals in modulating oxidative stress in health and diseases, this Research Topic gathers high-quality papers on the topic. The researchers adopted several approaches to tackle the issue, i.e., using single bioactive compounds or crude extract, traditional Chinese medicine formulation or reviews of previous literature. Herbs used in traditional medicine are major sources of nutraceuticals, and a topic of active investigation. Using menthol derived from peppermint, Matouk et al. reported attenuation of histopathological and enzymatic changes in the liver caused by sepsis with treatment. These beneficial effects were mediated by the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic OPEN ACCESS