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.