Compounds from Food and Medicinal Plants as Sources and Inspiration for the Development of Cardiovascular Drugs: Mechanisms, Therapeutic Targets, and Translational Perspectives

Cardiometabolic health research increasingly focuses on how bioactive dietary and natural compounds influence the development and progression of cardiovascular disease. Modulation of risk factors such as hyperlipidemia, hyperglycaemia, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, platelet hyperreactivity, and increased coagulation is particularly important. While lifestyle interventions remain important, recent studies also highlight the role of fatty acid composition, lipid-derived mediators, and selected nutraceutical or other natural compounds as modulators of cardiovascular and metabolic pathways with possible therapeutic relevance. Epidemiological, mechanistic, and clinical evidence suggests that specific classes of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, can shape systemic inflammation, endothelial function, insulin sensitivity, and the development of metabolic abnormalities. In parallel, bioactive nutraceuticals such as polyphenols, plant sterols, betaine, peptides, and probiotics may confer benefits through diverse pathways, including anti-inflammatory actions, antiplatelet activity, improvements in lipid profiles, vasodilatory activity, and modulation of the gut microbiota.Despite major progress, uncertainty remains regarding the cellular and molecular mechanisms through which different fatty acids, lipid-derived mediators, and non-lipid nutraceutical compounds influence metabolic and vascular pathways. Mechanistic gaps persist around how bioactive metabolites, including eicosanoids and specialized pro-resolving mediators, and other nutraceutical or other natural compound-derived signals interact with inflammation and vascular function across tissues. Unresolved debates about optimal dietary fat patterns, heterogeneity in nutraceutical formulations and dosing, and variability in trial design and outcomes limit our ability to translate these findings into well-defined preventive or therapeutic approaches for cardiometabolic disease prevention and management. Addressing these knowledge gaps through rigorous human trials, meta-analyses, lipidomics/metabolomics, and well-conducted preclinical studies is essential for identifying clinically relevant mechanisms and supporting future therapeutic development.This Research Topic aims to integrate advances in nutritional biochemistry, lipid biology, lipidomics/metabolomics, pharmacology, and clinical research to clarify how dietary fatty acids, lipid-derived mediators, and a wider spectrum of nutraceuticals regulate inflammation and vascular health within the context of cardiometabolic disease, and to examine their potential as therapeutic targets, adjunctive interventions, or starting points for drug development.Central objectives include evaluating evidence on the mechanisms through which lipid quality and key nutraceutical compounds shape cardiometabolic physiology; identifying how specific lipid-derived mediators and other bioactives modulate inflammation, endothelial function, and vascular tone; and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among nutrition, lipid biology, cardiology, and systems medicine. The overarching goal is to define evidence-based mechanistic and translational insights that can improve prevention, risk assessment, and therapy for inflammation-driven metabolic and vascular disorders, and support the development of targeted interventions where evidence is strong.This Research Topic will focus on fatty acid composition, lipid mediators, and well-characterized nutraceuticals and natural compounds in general relevant to cardiometabolic and cardiovascular health. Contributions should emphasize mechanistic clarity, therapeutic relevance, and/or clinically meaningful outcomes, supported by robust study design. To gather further insights within these boundaries, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Fatty acid balance and its influence on endothelial function, arterial stiffness, vascular tone, and cardiometabolic risk factors• Eicosanoids, resolvins, and other specialized pro-resolving mediators in cardiometabolic inflammation, insulin resistance, and vascular dysfunction• Mechanistic studies exploring how nutraceuticals (e.g. polyphenols, plant sterols, betaine, peptides, probiotics) exert cardiovascular protective effects• Human trials and intervention studies evaluating how food-based or supplemental fatty acids and/or nutraceuticals alter lipidomic, metabolomic, and clinical profiles• Meta-analyses and systematic reviews assessing efficacy, safety, and sources of heterogeneity in nutraceutical and fatty-acid interventions• Animal and translational studies elucidating physiological pathways linking dietary lipids and nutraceuticals to vascular function and metabolic health• The impact of dietary lipids and nutraceuticals on the gut–microbiome–heart axis, including host–microbial interactions and microbial lipid mediators, where there is clear relevance to cardiovascular mechanisms or therapeutic modulation• Integration of genomics, lipidomics, and curated dietary data to develop precision nutrition strategies targeting fatty acid metabolism and cardiometabolic risk, with clear translational relevance to cardiovascular interventioAppendix: We encourage the submission of original research articles, reviews, meta-analyses, brief reports, and perspectives relevant to these themes. Topic editors: Premysl Mladenka, Jana Pourová Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79382/compounds-from-food-and-medicinal-plants-as-sources-and-inspiration-for-the-development-of-cardiovascular-drugs-mechanisms-therapeutic-targets-and-translational-perspectives