tea extracts, pathogenic bacteria, antibacterial activity, catechins, cell membrane, fermented oyster, prednisolone, osteoblast, osteoclast, ageing arteries, black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), ACE2, functional foods, Lactarius hatsudake, phenolic acids, anti-cancer, molecular mechanism, food labels reading, dietary fiber, knowledge, consumption, health benefits, bioactive compounds, obesity, inflammation, interindividual variability, (poly)phenols, human clinical trials, genotype, genetic variants, cadmium, beetroot/carrot juice, calcium binding protein, calretinin, central nervous system, dementia, dandelion, metabolic syndrome, antioxidant activity, hypolipidemic effect, anti-diabetes, antiplatelet activity, garlic, colon, multimethodological evaluation, CIEL*a*b*, HS–SPME/GC–MS, apoptosis, inflammatory bowel disease, street food, sodium content, main meal, snack, dessert, Malaysia, ellagitannins, ellagic acid, urolithins, ET-rich foods, gut–brain axis, antioxidant effects, anti-inflammatory effects, neuroprotective effects, anti-cancer effects, diet assistance, glucose curve, glucose homeostasis, glycemic variability, healthy person, macronutrient intake sequence, aged black garlic, hydrogen sulfide, oxidative stress, Applied mathematics

The aim of this Special Issue is to expand our knowledge around the rational use of foods and natural antioxidant compounds, also extracted from high-quality byproducts, in the management and prevention of chronic inflammatory and metabolic diseases. In this regard, the papers submitted should include robust biological data underlying the protective role of foods and their ingredients, alongside a detailed description of their chemical composition. Specifically, biological and pharmacological investigations may include an evaluation of the protective effects through in vitro models (i.e., cell cultures, pathogen microbiological strains, isolated tissue), including preclinical and clinical data based on validated and reproducible models. Regarding the chemical composition of the investigated products, the authors were strongly invited to submit papers reporting the identification and quantification of food components, through chromatographic and/or spectroscopic data. A description of the mechanism of action will be much appreciated, which could also include a bioinformatics approach based on targets–components analysis, in particular, for bioactive extracts from foods.