Antioxidant peptides are currently a hotspot in food science, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. In different fields, the screening, activity evaluation, mechanisms, and applications of antioxidant peptides are the pivotal areas of research. Among these topics, the efficient screening of antioxidant peptides stands at the forefront of cutting-edge research. To this end, efficient screening with novel technologies has significantly accelerated the research process, gradually replacing the traditional approach. After the novel antioxidant peptides are screened and identified, a time-consuming activity evaluation is another indispensable procedure, especially in in vivo models. Cellular and rodent models have been widely used for activity evaluation, whilst non-rodent models provide an efficient solution, even with the potential for high-throughput screening. Meanwhile, further research of molecular mechanisms can elucidate the essence underlying the activity, which is related to several signaling pathways, including Keap1-Nrf2/ARE, mitochondria-dependent apoptosis, TGF-β/SMAD, AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and NF-κB. Last but not least, antioxidant peptides have broad applications in food manufacture, therapy, and the cosmetics industry, which requires a systematic review. This review introduces novel technologies for the efficient screening of antioxidant peptides, categorized with a new vision. A wide range of activity evaluation assays, encompassing cellular models, as well as rodent and non-rodent models, are provided in a comprehensive manner. In addition, recent advances in molecular mechanisms are analyzed with specific cases. Finally, the applications of antioxidant peptides in food production, therapy, and cosmetics are systematically reviewed.

Drug toxicity is closely related to both clinical drug safety and new drug development. Therefore, it is vital to understand the mechanisms of drug toxicity fully and to use appropriate research models with advanced technologies. Zebrafish has become an important vertebrate animal model for high-throughput drug screening and toxicity assessment. At the same time, zebrafish has an intact biological complexity, reflecting the whole organism's toxicity, which gives it an advantage over other high-throughput models in toxicity studies. Despite the gradual increase in toxicity studies utilizing zebrafish, a comprehensive and systematic review of the underlying mechanisms and new techniques is still lacking. This review aims to analyze common toxicity mechanisms in zebrafish models, such as oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, and macroscopic changes in biological processes like lipid metabolism disorders and neurotransmitter expression abnormalities. It also introduces new technologies applied in toxicity assessment, such as gene editing, novel fluorescence imaging technology, 3D imaging technology, and novel automated technology for high-throughput screening, such as fish capsules. In addition, it also summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the model. By doing so, it will provide new suggestions for the development and improvement of the model, make it better serve the toxicity study of clinical drugs and provide a more comprehensive perspective for drug toxicity study, thus promoting the development of the field of drug toxicity study.

Oxidative stress is a crucial concept in redox biology, and significant progress has been made in recent years. Excessive levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can lead to oxidative damage, heightening vulnerability to various diseases. By contrast, ROS maintained within a moderate range plays a role in regulating normal physiological metabolism. Choosing suitable animal models in a complex research context is critical for enhancing research efficacy. While rodents are frequently utilized in medical experiments, they pose challenges such as high costs and ethical considerations. Alternatively, non-rodent model organisms like zebrafish, Drosophila, and C. elegans offer promising avenues into oxidative stress research. These organisms boast advantages such as their small size, high reproduction rate, availability for live imaging, and ease of gene manipulation. This review highlights advancements in the detection of oxidative stress using non-rodent models. The oxidative homeostasis regulatory pathway, Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1-Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Keap1-Nrf2), is systematically reviewed alongside multiple regulation of Nrf2-centered pathways in different organisms. Ultimately, this review conducts a comprehensive comparative analysis of different model organisms and further explores the combination of novel techniques with non-rodents. This review aims to summarize state-of-the-art findings in oxidative stress research using non-rodents and to delineate future directions.