Resveratrol and inflammation: Challenges in translating pre-clinical findings to improved patient outcomes

• Resveratrol possesses strong anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in animal models.
• Resveratrol interacts with key players in the inflammatory cascade.
• Resveratrol possesses strong anti-inflammatory effects in human tissues/cells in vitro.
• In clinical trials the anti-inflammatory effect of resveratrol is less convincing.
• Clinical trials with longer duration and different doses of resveratrol are needed.

Throughout the Western world obesity prevalence is steadily increasing, and associated metabolic co-morbidities are projected to rise during the years to come. As weight loss and weight maintenance remains a major problem, new strategies to protect against obesity-related morbidity are needed. There is a clear association between obesity, low-grade inflammation and obesity-associated diseases, thus, the development of new anti-inflammatory substances is urgently needed as these may ultimately pave the way for novel treatments of obesity and lifestyle-related diseases. A candidate molecule is the polyphenolic compound resveratrol, and in the present review, we provide an overview of the field, and discuss the future scientific perspectives. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Resveratrol: Challenges in translating pre-clinical findings to improved patient outcomes.