SOD1 deficiency drives ferroptosis-linked oxidative and reproductive aging, mitigated by ginseng root extract

Abstract Aging is accompanied by cumulative oxidative stress that promotes tissue degeneration and reproductive decline. Here, we show that deficiency of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) accelerates oxidative injury and reproductive aging through a ferroptosis-linked redox imbalance, and that ginseng root extract (GR) confers protection across species. Aged hairless Sod1 ⁻ / ⁻ mice exhibited markedly elevated skin and plasma oxidative stress markers—including 8-isoprostane, malondialdehyde (MDA), and pentosidine—together with dermal cyst formation and atrophic pathology. Complementary studies in C . elegans revealed that SOD1-deficient strains displayed increased reactive oxygen species, depleted glutathione, and elevated iron and lipid peroxidation—canonical features of ferroptosis-associated oxidative stress. These redox alterations coincided with shortened reproductive span and reduced progeny output, both rescued by ferroptosis inhibition or GR supplementation. In female Sod1 ⁻ / ⁻ mice, GR restored folliculogenesis, normalized estrous cyclicity, and improved ovarian morphology. Collectively, these findings identify SOD1 loss as a driver of ferroptosis-associated oxidative and reproductive aging and highlight GR as a promising redox-targeted intervention.