Natural products are extremely valuable in medicine as they increasingly represent the main sources of secondary metabolites that have served as lead molecules for drug discovery in recent times. A majority of plant species and other natural sources remain to be studied chemically or biologically, especially regarding anti-inflammatory properties, thus intensifying the interest of researchers and transnational industries in the search for potential naturally occurring lead compounds in anti-inflammatory drug development.

Inflammation is crucial in host defences and tissue repair. However, a dysregulated inflammatory response, including ill-controlled inflammatory mediator release, sets the stage for many acute and chronic diseases, contributing to the pathophysiology of myriad diseases, both central and peripheral. There is therefore the need to harness promising molecules from natural sources for the development of more potent yet tolerable and cost-effective anti-inflammatory agents.

This Special Issue hopes to introduce recent advancements in the regulation of central and peripheral inflammatory responses and the management of associated complications using natural products and pure compounds isolated from natural products. Researchers are therefore invited to contribute new primary research articles, including both preclinical and clinical studies, and review articles examining current advancements and future prospects in this area.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Identification of natural products with anti-inflammatory activity in both in vitro and in vivo studies
• Isolation and characterisation of compounds from natural products with anti-inflammatory activity
• Development of anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory products based on natural products and compounds isolated from natural products
• Identification of targets and elucidation of anti-inflammatory mechanisms of natural products and pure compounds isolated from natural products with anti-inflammatory activities
• Establishment of safety and toxicity profiles of natural products and pure compounds isolated from natural products with anti-inflammatory activities
• Understanding the role of natural products in neurodegeneration
• Understanding the role of natural products in cancer-associated inflammation