# Natural Flavonoid-Derived Enzyme Mimics DHKNase Balance the Two-Edged Reactive Oxygen Species Function for Wound Healing and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Therapy

## TL;DR

A new natural compound regulates reactive oxygen species to help heal wounds and treat inflammatory bowel disease.

## Contribution

The first dual-action small-molecule enzyme mimic (DHKNase) is introduced for regulating reactive oxygen species.

## Key findings

- DHKNase regulates reactive oxygen species for physiological benefits in disease models.
- DHKNase shows therapeutic effects in wound healing and inflammatory bowel disease.
- The compound offers a natural alternative to metal-based therapies with fewer toxicities.

## Abstract

Rational regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a vital importance in maintaining homeostasis of living biological systems. For ROS-related pathologies, chemotherapy technology derived from metal nanomaterials currently occupies a pivotal position. However, they suffer from inherent issues such as complicated synthesis, batch-to-batch variability, high cost, and potential biological toxicity caused by metal elements. Here, we reported for the first time that dual-action 3,5-dihydroxy-1-ketonaphthalene-structured small-molecule enzyme imitator (DHKNase) exhibited 2-edged ROS regulation, catering to the execution of physiology-beneficial ROS destiny among diverse pathologies in living systems. Based on this, DHKNase is validated to enable remarkable therapeutic effects in 2 classic disease models, including the pathogen-infected wound-healing model and the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-caused inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This work provides a guiding landmark for developing novel natural small-molecule enzyme imitator and significantly expands their application potential in the biomedical field.