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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #407385
Research Project: Novel Methods for the Mitigation of Human Pathogens and Mycotoxin Contamination of High Value California Specialty Crops

Location: Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research

Title: Natural products as drug candidates for redox-related human disease

Author
item Kim, Jong Heon
item LAND, KIRKWOOD - University Of The Pacific
item HUANG, CANHUA - Sichuan University
item ZHANG, YUAN-YUAN - Sichuan University

Submitted to: Pharmaceuticals
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/7/2023
Publication Date: 9/13/2023
Citation: Kim, J., Land, K.M., Huang, C., Zhang, Y. 2023. Natural products as drug candidates for redox-related human disease. Pharmaceuticals. 16(9):1294. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16091294.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16091294

Interpretive Summary: This Special Issue presented recent progress on natural products that serve as drug candidates for redox-related human diseases. The disruption of cellular redox homeo-stasis, viz., oxidative stress, results in the development of various human diseases/pathologies. For example, interference of the normal mitochondrial function/respiration generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cell, which is responsible for the human illnesses. Meanwhile, the invasive fungal pathogen Aspergillus terreus, a causative agent for human aspergillosis, possesses intrinsically higher activity of the antioxidant enzyme catalase compared to other fungal pathogens. The robust antioxidant system of A. terreus contributes to the resistance of this fungal pathogen to the oxidative stress drugs. Therefore, disruption of the antioxidant systems of pathogens could serve as an effective strategy for control of certain fungal pathogens including A. terreus. Enhancement of pathogen’s oxidative stress using pro-oxidant compounds, administered alone or in combination with other antifungal drugs, has been proposed as a new therapeutic strategy.

Technical Abstract: Natural products could serve as a potential source of drug candidates for redox-related human diseases, either in their intact form or as templates/leads for more effective structural analogs. For instance, phytochemical compounds, such as polyphenols, terpenoids or glucosinolates, possess therapeutic potential, for which the regulation of glutathione-related cellular processes is one contributing mechanism of action. Redox-active natural products (e.g., sulfur-containing compounds, phenolics, benzo analogs, etc.) can also serve as potent redox cyclers/prooxidants against pathogens, hence inhibiting pathogen growth via the destabilization of pathogens’ antioxidant systems. In this Special Issue, ten works (five original research articles, five reviews) were published on the recent advances in natural products as drug candidates for redox-related human disease. The research articles and reviews presented in this Special Issue provide useful information/insight and illuminate recent progress on natural products that serve as drug candidates for redox-related human diseases. Identification of new, safe molecules, and cellular targets, as well as elucidation of their precise mechanisms of action will further the effective control of redox-related human diseases.