Plant Polyphenols and Human Health: Novel Findings for Future Therapeutic Developments

Polyphenols are a large class of plant secondary metabolites that are biosynthetically derived from the shikimate pathway and characterized by aromatic rings with one or more hydroxyl groups. Plant polyphenols have received a significant scientific interest over the years owing to their promising healing properties, especially their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Indeed, epidemiological evidence highlighted the ability of food polyphenols to boost human health and prevent several diseases, including cardiovascular, neurological, and liver diseases, in addition to diabetes, atherosclerosis, aging, and cancer. Recent evidence has also highlighted the ability of some phenolics to counteract viral infections and to modulate the gut microbiota, thus favoring the host’s general health. This Special Issue was aimed at gathering novel findings about plant polyphenols and phenolic-based extracts to enhance the available knowledge about the mechanisms underlying the properties of these natural substances, the pharmaceutical formulations developed to improve their bioavailability, and the clinical evidence in support of their use.