活性氧（Reactive oxygen species，ROS）是在有氧生物的氧化代谢过程中产生的。在正常条件下，ROS的产生和清除处于相对平衡的状态。然而，在内部或外部环境压力的作用下，如高血糖水平或紫外辐射，ROS的产生会显著增加，导致氧化应激。过量的ROS产生不仅损害生物分子，而且与许多疾病的发病机制密切相关，如皮肤老化、糖尿病和癌症。抗氧化肽（Antioxidant peptides，AOPs）是天然存在或人工设计的能够减少ROS和其他促氧化物的水平的肽，因此在治疗氧化应激相关疾病方面具有巨大潜力。在本综述中，我们讨论了ROS的产生及其在引发人类氧化应激相关疾病中的作用。此外，我们还讨论了AOPs的来源、作用机制和评价方法，并提供了未来研究AOPs的方向。© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during oxidative metabolism in aerobic organisms. Under normal conditions, ROS production and elimination are in a relatively balanced state. However, under internal or external environmental stress, such as high glucose levels or UV radiation, ROS production can increase significantly, leading to oxidative stress. Excess ROS production not only damages biomolecules but is also closely associated with the pathogenesis of many diseases, such as skin photoaging, diabetes, and cancer. Antioxidant peptides (AOPs) are naturally occurring or artificially designed peptides that can reduce the levels of ROS and other pro-oxidants, thus showing great potential in the treatment of oxidative stress-related diseases. In this review, we discussed ROS production and its role in inducing oxidative stress-related diseases in humans. Additionally, we discussed the sources, mechanism of action, and evaluation methods of AOPs and provided directions for future studies on AOPs.© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.