Human lactation has evolved to produce a milk composition that is uniquely-designed for the human infant. Not only does human milk optimize infant growth and development, it also provides protection from infection and disease. More recently, the importance of human milk and breastfeeding in the programming of infant health has risen to the fore. Anchoring of infant feeding in the developmental origins of health and disease has led to a resurgence of research focused in this area. Milk composition is highly variable both between and within mothers. Indeed the distinct maternal human milk signature, including its own microbiome, is influenced by environmental factors, such as diet, health, body composition and geographic residence. An understanding of these changes will lead to unravelling the adaptation of milk to the environment and its impact on the infant. In terms of the promotion of breastfeeding, health economics and epidemiology is instrumental in shaping public health policy and identifying barriers to breastfeeding. Further, basic research is imperative in order to design evidence-based interventions to improve both breastfeeding duration and women’s breastfeeding experience.

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Catalysis, in the industrial production of chemicals, fuels, and materials, accounts for more than half of gross material production worldwide. Heterogeneous catalysis enables fast and selective chemical transformations, resulting in superior product yield and facilitating catalyst separation and recovery. The synthesis of novel catalysts has emerged as a hot topic for process and product development with numerous research publications and patents. Hence, development of efficient catalysts and their applications is important for sustainable energy production and use, green chemicals production and use, and economic growth. This Special Issue discusses recent developments related to catalysis for the production of sustainable fuels and chemicals and traverses many new frontiers of catalysis including synthesis, characterization, catalytic performances, reaction kinetics and modelling, as well as applications of catalysts for the production of biofuels, synthesis gas, and other green products. This covers the current state-of-the-art catalysis research applied to bioenergy, organic transformation, carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatoms, reforming, hydrogenation, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodenitrogenation, hydrodemetalization, Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, to name a few. This book highlights new avenues in catalysis including catalyst preparation methods, analytical tools for catalyst characterization, and techno-economic assessment to enhance a chemical or biological transformation process using catalysts for a betterment of industry, academia and society.

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This Reprint aims to immerse the readers into the latest frontiers of cutting-edge investigations regarding bioactive compounds and nutraceuticals. It explores their use in biotechnological approaches, biomedical applications, the discovery of novel bioactive natural products, the role of these products on food structure, and their potential physiological effects on human nutrition. Additionally, it discusses the use of in vitro and in vivo bioactivity research involving cell lines and animal models as exemplars of human physiology.

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This Reprint aims to immerse the readers into the latest frontiers of cutting-edge investigations regarding bioactive compounds and nutraceuticals. It explores their use in biotechnological approaches, biomedical applications, the discovery of novel bioactive natural products, the role of these products on food structure, and their potential physiological effects on human nutrition. Additionally, it discusses the use of in vitro and in vivo bioactivity research involving cell lines and animal models as exemplars of human physiology.

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Human milk is uniquely tailored to meet infants’ specific nutritional requirements. However, it is more than just “milk”. This dynamic and bioactive fluid allows mother–infant signalling over lactation, guiding the infant in the developmental and physiological processes. It exerts protection and life-long biological effects, playing a crucial role in promoting healthy growth and optimal cognitive development. The latest scientific advances have provided insight into different components of human milk and their dynamic changes over time. However, the complexity of human milk composition and the synergistic mechanisms responsible for its beneficial health effects have not yet been unravelled. Filling this knowledge gap will shed light on the biology of the developing infant and will contribute to the optimization of infant feeding, particularly that of the most vulnerable infants. Greater understanding of human milk will also help in elucidating the best strategies for its storage and handling. The increasing knowledge on human milk’s bioactive compounds together with the rapidly-advancing technological achievements will greatly enhance their use as prophylactic or therapeutic agents. The current Special Issue aims to welcome original works and literature reviews further exploring the complexity of human milk composition, the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects associated with breastfeeding, and the factors and determinants involved in lactation, including its promotion and support.

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Health is defined as “the state of the organism when it functions optimally without evidence of disease”. Surprisingly, the words “microbes” or “microorganism” are missing in this definition. The regulation of gut microbiota is mediated by an enormous quantity of aspects, such as microbiological factors, host characteristics, diet patterns, and environmental variables. Some protective, structural, and metabolic functions have been reported for gut microbiota, and these functions are related to the regulation of homeostasis and host health. Host defense against pathogens is, in part, mediated through gut microbiota action and requires intimate interpretation of the current microenvironment and discrimination between commensal and occasional bacteria. The present Special Issue provides a summary of the progress on the topic of intestinal microbiota and its important role in human health in different populations. This Special Issue will be of great interest from a clinical and public health perspective. Nevertheless, more studies with more samples and comparable methods are necessary to understand the actual function of intestinal microbiota in disease development and health maintenance.

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Meat and meat products are among the most nutrient-dense food sources in the human diet. They fulfill most of our bodily requirements, acting as important sources of energy and a variety of essential nutrients needed for metabolic functions. Meat and meat products may also contain non-nutritive components, such as sodium, saturated fat, nitrites, heterocyclic aromatic amines, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are associated with negative health-related outcomes. Reprint “Nutritional Value of Meat and Meat Products and Their Role in Human Health” focuses on research related to the recent developments in the field of the nutritional value and health effects of meat and meat products. This reprint contains empirical studies and systematic reviews regarding the relationship between meat consumption and their association with nutrient intake and meeting nutrient recommendations. It covers the correlations between meat consumption and adverse health outcomes and concerns regarding the environmental and climate-related effects of animal-sourced food production.

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including coronary artery disease, heart disease, arrhythmias, and other types of vascular diseases, is one of the leading causes of death around the world. It is estimated that approximately half of the variabilities of CVD appear to be attributed to genetics. Therefore, the other half of them have been attributed to acquired factors, including diet. It is of note that even a genetic predisposition to CVD can be canceled out by a healthy lifestyle. In this regard, it is important to acknowledge that acquired factors, including diet, are causally associated with CVD. Based on these facts, important papers are presented in this Special Issue entitled “The Effect of Diet on Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Disease, and Blood Vessels”.

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In pregnancy, maternal nutrition sustains and nourishes the developing child. Imbalances in either the direction of nutritional excess or deficiency can have adverse consequences for child health. In addition, more research now suggests that good pregnancy nutrition influences child health beyond pregnancy and delivery. This includes modifying the risk of child health outcomes as they enter childhood and adulthood through influences on placental development, hormonal pathways, and organ structure and function. Poor pregnancy nutrition may also compromise maternal health during pregnancy, which may have long-term consequences for women’s health. Understanding the biological and social mechanisms operating during pregnancy can help in the design of better clinical and public health interventions. This Special Issue on “The Role of Pregnancy Nutrition in Maternal and Offspring Health” includes etiological and mechanistic studies of pregnancy nutrition with short- and long-term maternal and child health outcomes, including original research, narrative reviews, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Together, this body of work provides important insights into the influence of dietary patterns, food groups, and nutrients on pregnancy outcomes, and long-term neurodevelopmental, respiratory, and metabolic health in the children. It also highlights nutritional consequences for specific groups of women, including those with pregnancy complications and eating disorders.

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