Mitochondria are often described as the “powerhouse” of the cell by driving all of the body’s functions as a “fuel”. They are complex cellular organelles governing many metabolic processes including oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), electron transport chain (ETC), Krebs cycle, fatty acid oxidation, and many others. Besides, mitochondria have a broader biological activity than just energy production. Mitochondrial dysfunction is characterized by a loss of efficiency in the electron transport chain and reductions in the synthesis of high-energy molecules. However, recent advances show that mitochondrial dysfunction is being recognized to be even more complex than originally thought. Mitochondrial disease caused by mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with a wide range of human pathologies, such as cancer, metabolic, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, neurobehavioral and psychiatric diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and so on.
Currently, there is no highly effective treatment or cure for mitochondrial disease. The major management strategy for mitochondrial disease is supportive therapy, which may include nutritional management, exercise, and/or vitamin or amino acid supplements. It is hypothesized that natural products or compounds derived from traditional herbs with antioxidant or metabolic reprogramming capacity could be potential treatment options. Thus, it is necessary to explore more mitochondria protective agents especially natural products as well as for understanding the pathophysiology of the disease caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. The present research topic aims to provide a platform for communication of current scientific evidence available about the role of natural products in regulating mitochondrial dysfunction.
Natural product effects on the occurrence, progress and treatment of mitochondrial dysfunction-related diseases are within the scope of this research topic. We welcome authors to submit Original Research Articles, Reviews, and other article types focusing on the role of natural products in the treatment of mitochondrial dysfunction-related diseases including cancer, metabolic, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, neurobehavioral and psychiatric diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, etc. The subtopics include, but are not limited to:
• The discovery and evaluation of novel natural products for the treatment of mitochondrial dysfunction.
• Novel molecular mechanisms of natural products in the prevention/treatment of mitochondrial dysfunction.
• Novel therapeutic targets of natural products involved in mitochondrial function.
• Novel screening strategy for the discovery of mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for mitochondrial dysfunction.
• Preclinical or clinical studies of natural products for the treatment of mitochondrial dysfunction.
Specifically, please note:
1. The traditional context must be described in the introduction and supported with primary bibliographical references. The identification of the medicinal plants needs to be well documented and as a reminder fully validated species names must be used. Furthermore, any plant extracts need to be chemically well-characterized.
2. All the manuscripts submitted to the collection will need to fully comply with the
Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology (you can freely download the full version
here). Please note, that all submissions to the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology using plant extracts or preparations must also adhere to these Four Pillars to be considered for peer review, regardless of the specialty section, as a baseline standard for sample characterization. Additional criteria may be applied in other specialty sections where appropriate.