TY  - JOUR
TI  - Targeting redox imbalance in pediatric asthma: environmental control, antioxidant strategies, and nutraceutical interventions
AU  - Piazza, Michele
AU  - Calvani, Mauro
AU  - D’Auria, Enza
AU  - Giannetti, Arianna
AU  - Randazzo, Emioli
AU  - Milani, Gregorio
AU  - Piacentini, Giorgio
AU  - Peroni, Diego
PY  - 2026
JO  - Exploration of Medicine
VL  - 7
SP  - 1001420
DO  - 10.37349/emed.2026.1001420
UR  - https://www.explorationpub.com/Journals/em/Article/1001420
AB  - Oxidative stress—an imbalance between reactive oxygen/nitrogen species and antioxidant defenses—contributes not only to the developmental origins of asthma but also to poor control, airway remodeling, and corticosteroid-resistant inflammation in children. Persistent oxidant exposure, nutritional insufficiency, and mitochondrial dysfunction sustain redox imbalance in pediatric asthma, suggesting potential roles for environmental, dietary, and nutraceutical strategies—defined here as natural bioactive compounds providing health benefits beyond basic nutrition, including polyphenols such as curcumin, quercetin, and resveratrol, and essential minerals such as zinc and selenium—that complement standard therapy. To summarize evidence on preventive and therapeutic approaches that modulate oxidative stress in pediatric asthma, focusing on environmental control, antioxidant-rich dietary patterns, single and multi-component nutraceuticals, and mitochondria-targeted interventions. A structured review of PubMed, Scopus, and Embase (1995–2025) identified peer-reviewed English-language epidemiologic studies, mechanistic models, and clinical trials evaluating oxidative stress, antioxidant status, and asthma outcomes in children and, when relevant, adults. Reference lists of major reviews were screened to identify additional studies. Interventions that reduce exposure to air pollutants and tobacco smoke, combined with antioxidant-rich diets such as high fruit/vegetable intake and Mediterranean-style patterns, are consistently associated with improved lung function, fewer symptoms, and reduced inflammation. Clinical trials of single antioxidants (vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, magnesium) show modest, context-dependent benefits, primarily in children with baseline deficiencies. Emerging research suggests that multi-component nutraceuticals—including polyphenols and coordinated micronutrient formulations—may enhance redox balance and improve pulmonary or vascular outcomes, though current evidence is limited by small sample sizes and heterogeneity. Experimental data strongly support mitochondria-targeted mechanisms, but pediatric clinical validation remains sparse. Strategies that reduce oxidative burden or strengthen antioxidant defenses appear biologically plausible adjuncts to standard asthma therapy. Further large, biomarker-guided trials are needed to clarify efficacy, identify responsive phenotypes, and determine the role of multi-component approaches relative to single-nutrient supplementation.
ER  -