Synthetic and semi-synthetic antioxidants in medicine and food industry: a review
Oxidative stress is recognized as both a causative and contributing factor in many human diseases. As a result, significant research has been devoted to the development of synthetic and semi-synthetic antioxidants (ATs). This review summarizes the therapeutic potential of synthetic ATs, explores the...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Pharmacology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1599816/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849468575997231104 |
|---|---|
| author | Jan Tauchen Lukáš Huml Michal Jurášek Joe M. Regenstein Fatih Ozogul Fatih Ozogul |
| author_facet | Jan Tauchen Lukáš Huml Michal Jurášek Joe M. Regenstein Fatih Ozogul Fatih Ozogul |
| author_sort | Jan Tauchen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Oxidative stress is recognized as both a causative and contributing factor in many human diseases. As a result, significant research has been devoted to the development of synthetic and semi-synthetic antioxidants (ATs). This review summarizes the therapeutic potential of synthetic ATs, explores their possible clinical applications, and highlights novel structural modifications aimed at improving their pharmacological properties. Additionally, it presents ideas for refining current antioxidant testing methodologies. Despite the ongoing research, the therapeutic efficacy of synthetic ATs remains ambiguous for several reasons. These include the following: therapeutic benefits resulting from non-antioxidant mechanisms, insufficient dosage to elicit an antioxidant effect, poor oral bioavailability, a narrow therapeutic index, or toxicity that precludes clinical use. Nevertheless, some compounds, such as ebselen, edaravone, MitoQ10, and potentially N-acetylcysteine, have shown promising results. However, further studies are needed to confirm their efficacy and clarify whether their therapeutic effects are truly mediated through antioxidant mechanisms. Dietary antioxidants have achieved relatively higher clinical success, although their toxicity has also led to the withdrawal of some agents. One emerging therapeutic strategy involves inhibition of NADPH oxidase (NOX) enzymatic activity, with compounds such as ebselen, S17834, and GKT137831 showing potential across various disease models. Efforts to enhance antioxidant properties through molecular modifications, using advanced technologies such as prodrug strategies, nanotechnology, polymer complexation, targeted delivery systems, or conversion into inhalable formulations, have yielded variable success. Still, confirming the clinical relevance of newly developed antioxidants will require a paradigm shift in the testing approaches. Future studies must better define the molecular context of antioxidant action, including the following: which biomolecules are being protected, the specific radical species targeted, the tissue and subcellular distribution of the antioxidant, and how levels of endogenous antioxidants and reactive oxygen species (ROS) change post-administration (e.g., within the mitochondria). Despite extensive research, only a few synthetic antioxidants, such as edaravone, are currently used in clinical practice. Currently, no new antioxidant drugs are expected to receive regulatory approval in the near future. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-935eef1dc4694ee88fe33afe39e43f88 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1663-9812 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Pharmacology |
| spelling | doaj-art-935eef1dc4694ee88fe33afe39e43f882025-08-20T03:25:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pharmacology1663-98122025-07-011610.3389/fphar.2025.15998161599816Synthetic and semi-synthetic antioxidants in medicine and food industry: a reviewJan Tauchen0Lukáš Huml1Michal Jurášek2Joe M. Regenstein3Fatih Ozogul4Fatih Ozogul5Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food, and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká, CzechiaDepartment of Chemistry of Natural Compounds, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická, CzechiaDepartment of Chemistry of Natural Compounds, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická, CzechiaDepartment of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United StatesDepartment of Seafood Processing Technology, Faculty of Fisheries, Çukurova University, Adana, TürkiyeBiotechnology Research and Application Center, Cukurova University, Adana, TürkiyeOxidative stress is recognized as both a causative and contributing factor in many human diseases. As a result, significant research has been devoted to the development of synthetic and semi-synthetic antioxidants (ATs). This review summarizes the therapeutic potential of synthetic ATs, explores their possible clinical applications, and highlights novel structural modifications aimed at improving their pharmacological properties. Additionally, it presents ideas for refining current antioxidant testing methodologies. Despite the ongoing research, the therapeutic efficacy of synthetic ATs remains ambiguous for several reasons. These include the following: therapeutic benefits resulting from non-antioxidant mechanisms, insufficient dosage to elicit an antioxidant effect, poor oral bioavailability, a narrow therapeutic index, or toxicity that precludes clinical use. Nevertheless, some compounds, such as ebselen, edaravone, MitoQ10, and potentially N-acetylcysteine, have shown promising results. However, further studies are needed to confirm their efficacy and clarify whether their therapeutic effects are truly mediated through antioxidant mechanisms. Dietary antioxidants have achieved relatively higher clinical success, although their toxicity has also led to the withdrawal of some agents. One emerging therapeutic strategy involves inhibition of NADPH oxidase (NOX) enzymatic activity, with compounds such as ebselen, S17834, and GKT137831 showing potential across various disease models. Efforts to enhance antioxidant properties through molecular modifications, using advanced technologies such as prodrug strategies, nanotechnology, polymer complexation, targeted delivery systems, or conversion into inhalable formulations, have yielded variable success. Still, confirming the clinical relevance of newly developed antioxidants will require a paradigm shift in the testing approaches. Future studies must better define the molecular context of antioxidant action, including the following: which biomolecules are being protected, the specific radical species targeted, the tissue and subcellular distribution of the antioxidant, and how levels of endogenous antioxidants and reactive oxygen species (ROS) change post-administration (e.g., within the mitochondria). Despite extensive research, only a few synthetic antioxidants, such as edaravone, are currently used in clinical practice. Currently, no new antioxidant drugs are expected to receive regulatory approval in the near future.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1599816/fullfree radical scavengingchelation therapyoxidative stresssemi-synthetic antioxidantssynthetic antioxidants |
| spellingShingle | Jan Tauchen Lukáš Huml Michal Jurášek Joe M. Regenstein Fatih Ozogul Fatih Ozogul Synthetic and semi-synthetic antioxidants in medicine and food industry: a review Frontiers in Pharmacology free radical scavenging chelation therapy oxidative stress semi-synthetic antioxidants synthetic antioxidants |
| title | Synthetic and semi-synthetic antioxidants in medicine and food industry: a review |
| title_full | Synthetic and semi-synthetic antioxidants in medicine and food industry: a review |
| title_fullStr | Synthetic and semi-synthetic antioxidants in medicine and food industry: a review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Synthetic and semi-synthetic antioxidants in medicine and food industry: a review |
| title_short | Synthetic and semi-synthetic antioxidants in medicine and food industry: a review |
| title_sort | synthetic and semi synthetic antioxidants in medicine and food industry a review |
| topic | free radical scavenging chelation therapy oxidative stress semi-synthetic antioxidants synthetic antioxidants |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1599816/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jantauchen syntheticandsemisyntheticantioxidantsinmedicineandfoodindustryareview AT lukashuml syntheticandsemisyntheticantioxidantsinmedicineandfoodindustryareview AT michaljurasek syntheticandsemisyntheticantioxidantsinmedicineandfoodindustryareview AT joemregenstein syntheticandsemisyntheticantioxidantsinmedicineandfoodindustryareview AT fatihozogul syntheticandsemisyntheticantioxidantsinmedicineandfoodindustryareview AT fatihozogul syntheticandsemisyntheticantioxidantsinmedicineandfoodindustryareview |