NFKB1 and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency: As a potent antioxidant, Asc can directly neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by dysfunctional visceral adipose tissue and is crucial for the regeneration of other key antioxidants, such as vitamin E. This capacity to mitigate oxidative stress is directly linked to its anti-inflammatory properties, as it can suppress the activation of pro-inflammatory signaling pathways such as NF-κB, which are chronically stimulated in obesity [34, 35].