## 1 Introduction  
In aerobic organisms, molecular oxygen can participate in reactions that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) or reactive oxygen intermediates. ROS are a group of molecules that include the superoxide anion O\({}_{2}\)\({}^{-}\), hydrogen peroxide H\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{2}\), or hydroxyl radicals OH\({}^{-}\). Although ROS are involved in various physiological processes, excessive production of ROS can lead to oxidative stress, a condition of imbalanced production, and the detoxication of ROS. This imbalance often results in lipids, proteins, RNA, and DNA damage within the cell, contributing to severe pathologies [1]. Oxidative stress is considered the inflictor of various diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's [2] and Parkinson's [3], metabolic and cardiovascular diseases [4], and cancer [5]. To maintain an adequate antioxidant status in the body, essential enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR) play key roles in this process, helping to protect the cell from oxidative damage [6]. In addition to enzymatic defenses, one strategy to reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) may arise from the incorporation of vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols into the diet. Plants are a vital source of secondary metabolites and play a key role in human nutrition and supporting health. Many studies have shown the positive effect of plant-based medicine in treating a wide range of health problems, including degenerative diseases, atherosclerosis, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, or cancer [7; 8; 9; 10]. _Cornus mas_ L., also known as Correlian cherry, has been utilized in traditional folk medicine for centuries, particularly in Asian regions. Health-promoting effects have been described in the Correlian cherry's fruits, flowers, leaves, and bark [11]. The Correlian cherry is a small tree in the dogwood family _Cornaceae_ that grows in Central and Southern Europe, as well as in the Middle East. The major regions of its production and use include Turkey, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Iran, and Greece. Its fruits and leaves, well known for their nutritional and therapeutic properties, contain a substantial amount of bioactive compounds, including carbohydrates, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, anthocyanins, phenolic acids, and flavonoids but also riidoids, amides, alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids, and tannins [12]. It has been demonstrated that the composition of bioactive compounds in the fruit is, at the highest degree, represented by polyphenols at 37.36%, followed by monoterpenes at 26.26%, organic acids at 25.91%, and vitamin C at 10.47% of the total molecular constitution. Among the polyphenols, anthocyanins are the most significant at 61.49%, followed by catechins at 16.49% and benzoic acid at 10.78% [13]. The content of these components is affected by several factors, including the genotype of the plant and environmental growth conditions [14]. A comparison of the content of some bioactive compounds of _Cornus mas_ L. fruit and its ethanolic extract is presented in Table 1.  
Fruits and leaves from various _Cornus_ species have significant health-promoting potential, as shown by their antimicrobial [17; 18], antioxidant [19; 20], anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiatherosclerosis, antiproliferative, antiparasitic, nephoprotective, hepatoprotective, antihistamine, cytotoxic, neuroprotective, and antidiabetic properties [14; 21; 22; 23; 24]. Although the health-promoting effects of _Cornus mas_ L. are mostly associated with its antioxidant properties, the anticancer and antimicrobial activity of plant extracts rich in bioactive compounds such as polyphenols or flavonoids often arises from their ability to increase ROS production. Enhanced ROS formation, in turn, activates regulatory pathways, resulting in morphological changes in the cell, apoptotic events [25], or modulation of miRNAs that trigger the suppression of oncogenic genes and increase the expression of tumor suppressor genes [26].