The interaction between nutrition and human infectious diseases has always been recognized. With the emergence of molecular tools and post-genomics, high-resolution sequencing technologies, the gut microbiota has been emerging as a key moderator in the complex interplay between nutrients, human body, and infections. Much of the host–microbial and nutrition research is currently based on animals or simplistic in vitro models. Although traditional in vivo and in vitro models have helped to develop mechanistic hypotheses and assess the causality of the host–microbiota interactions, they often fail to faithfully recapitulate the complexity of the human nutrient–microbiome axis in gastrointestinal homeostasis and infections. Over the last decade, remarkable progress in tissue engineering, stem cell biology, microfluidics, sequencing technologies, and computing power has taken place, which has produced a new generation of human-focused, relevant, and predictive tools. These tools, which include patient-derived organoids, organs-on-a-chip, computational analyses, and models, together with multi-omics readouts, represent novel and exciting equipment to advance the research into microbiota, infectious diseases, and nutrition from a human-biology-based perspective. After considering some limitations of the conventional in vivo and in vitro approaches, in this review, we present the main novel available and emerging tools that are suitable for designing human-oriented research.

Modern high-throughput ‘omics’ science tools (including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and microbiomics) are currently being applied to nutritional sciences to unravel the fundamental processes of health effects ascribed to particular nutrients in humans and to contribute to more precise nutritional advice. Diet and food components are key environmental factors that interact with the genome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome and the microbiota, and this life-long interplay defines health and diseases state of the individual. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease featured by a systemic immune-inflammatory response, in genetically susceptible individuals exposed to environmental triggers, including diet. In recent years increasing evidences suggested that nutritional factors and gut microbiome have a central role in RA risk and progression. The aim of this review is to summarize the main and most recent applications of ‘omics’ technologies in human nutrition and in RA research, examining the possible influences of some nutrients and nutritional patterns on RA pathogenesis, following a nutrigenomics approach. The opportunities and challenges of novel ‘omics technologies’ in the exploration of new avenues in RA and nutritional research to prevent and manage RA will be also discussed.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at substantially high risk for colorectal cancer (CRC). IBD-associated CRC accounts for roughly 10% to 15% of the annual mortality in patients with IBD. IBD-related CRC also affects younger patients compared with sporadic CRC, with a 5-y survival rate of 50%. Regardless of medical therapies, the persistent inflammatory state characterizing IBD raises the risk for precancerous changes and CRC, with additional input from several elements, including genetic and environmental risk factors, IBD-associated comorbidities, intestinal barrier dysfunction, and gut microbiota modifications. It is well known that nutritional habits and dietary bioactive compounds can influence IBD-associated inflammation, microbiome abundance and composition, oxidative stress balance, and gut permeability. Additionally, in recent years, results from broad epidemiologic and experimental studies have associated certain foods or nutritional patterns with the risk for colorectal neoplasia. The present study aimed to review the possible role of nutrition in preventing IBD-related CRC, focusing specifically on human studies. It emerges that nutritional interventions based on healthy, nutrient-dense dietary patterns characterized by a high intake of fiber, vegetables, fruit, ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and a low amount of animal proteins, processed foods, and alcohol, combined with probiotic supplementation have the potential of reducing IBD-activity and preventing the risk of IBD-related CRC through different mechanisms, suggesting that targeted nutritional interventions may represent a novel promising approach for the prevention and management of IBD-associated CRC.

Background/Objectives: Bioactive compounds possess the ability to maintain health and improve diseases by regulating inflammation and cell death processes. Pyroptosis is programmed cell death related to inflammation and exerts a critical role in the development and progression of different types of diseases. This narrative review aims to investigate and discuss the effects of dietary bioactive compounds on pyroptosis in different common human pathologies, such as inflammatory disease, bacterial infection, injury disease, cancer, diabetes and heart disease, etc. Method: Studies published in the major databases until December 2024 in English were considered, for a total of 50 papers. Results: The current evidence demonstrated that the bioactive compounds are able to regulate the pyroptosis process by modulating different inflammasome sensors (NLRP1, NLRP3, and AIM2), caspase family proteins (caspase-1, caspase-3, and caspase-11), and gasdermins (GSDMD and GSDME) in many pathological conditions related to inflammation, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Conclusions: Bioactive compounds have powerful potential to be the candidate drug for pyroptosis modulation in inflammatory diseases, even if more clinical studies are needed to confirm the effects and establish efficient doses for humans.

Besides mulberry fruit, mulberry ( Morus alba L. ) has many byproducts, including leaves, branches, and roots. Although these byproducts have long been used as traditional Chinese medicine, their use is limited mainly to rheumatism, diabetes, arthritis. These natural products have a variety of bioactive ingredients, including flavonoids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering and other biological functions. This review introduces the bioactive ingredients of mulberry leaves, branches, and roots and discusses their potential in alleviating cardiovascular diseases from antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, lipid regulation, blood glucose regulation, vascular protection and other aspects.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease driven by persistent inflammation and oxidative stress. Ilex paraguariensis (yerba mate) contains bioactive compounds—particularly chlorogenic acids, quercetin, and rutin—with documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Objectives: To systematically review the mechanistic and clinical evidence on Ilex paraguariensis and its main constituents in RA-relevant inflammatory, oxidative, and bone metabolic pathways. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020, PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS, and SciELO were searched up to September 2025. Eligible studies included yerba mate preparations (last 10 years) or isolated compounds (last 5 years) assessing RA-relevant clinical, inflammatory, oxidative, or bone metabolic outcomes. Non-original studies were excluded. Owing to heterogeneity, findings were narratively synthesized, and risk of bias was evaluated using RoB 2, ROBINS-I, OHAT, and SYRCLE. Results: Twenty-three studies met inclusion criteria: 11 human (clinical or observational), 7 human-based in vitro, and 5 animal studies. Interventions with yerba mate infusions or standardized extracts suggest reductions in inflammatory markers (e.g., C-reactive protein, interleukin-6) and indicate improvements in glutathione-related oxidative balance. Evidence from isolated compounds, particularly quercetin and rutin, suggests comparable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Preclinical studies appear to indicate modulation of inflammatory and redox pathways relevant to RA. Conclusions: Yerba mate and its constituents show preliminary indications of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects with potential relevance to RA pathophysiology. However, in the absence of clinical trials in RA patients, conclusions remain tentative, constrained by small sample sizes, methodological heterogeneity, species differences, and internal validity concerns. Future research should include rigorously designed randomized trials and mechanistic studies using advanced human-relevant platforms, such as organoids and organ-on-chip systems.