Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become an enormous worldwide health problem, both in developed and less developed countries. The incidence and prevalence of CKD is high, and is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Of note, CKD is the 12th most common primary cause of death, accounting for about 1 million deaths per year worldwide. CKD and end-stage renal disease are characterized by the progressive development of a series of complications, such as anemia, hyperkalemia, hypervolemia, mineral and bone disorders (CKD-MBD), metabolic acidosis, hyperuricemia and wasting; all of these complications have been shown to be associated with adverse outcomes, and can contribute either individually or in association to the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality observed in CKD. While at this time CKD progression is not treated with high efficacy, new biomarkers of kidney fibrosis have become available in recent years and new treatments for kidney fibrosis and cell loss could become soon available. In addition recent progress in our understanding of CKD pathophysiology together with the development of novel therapeutic agents has led to a renewed attention on the treatment of CKD–associated metabolic complications which are now are amenable to therapeutic interventions. All these important issues are addressed in this volume.

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Mammalian ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters constitute a superfamily of proteins involved in many essential cellular processes. Most of these transporters are transmembrane proteins and allow the active transport of solutes, small molecules, and lipids across biological membranes. On the one hand, some of these transporters are involved in drug resistance (also referred to as MDR or multidrug resistance), a process known to be a major brake in most anticancer treatments, and the medical challenge is thus to specifically inhibit their function. On the other hand, molecular defects in some of these ABC transporters are correlated with several rare human diseases, the most well-documented of which being cystic fibrosis, which is caused by genetic variations in ABCC7/CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator). In the latter case, the goal is to rescue the function of the deficient transporters using various means, such as targeted pharmacotherapies and cell or gene therapy. The aim of this Special Issue, “ABC Transporters in Human Diseases”, is to present, through original articles and reviews, the state-of-the-art of our current knowledge about the role of ABC transporters in human diseases and the proposed therapeutic options based on studies ranging from cell and animal models to patients.

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Phytotherapy is probably the oldest form of medicine; however, it represents a new therapeutic tool for healthcare workers. Indeed plants are an infinite source of novel molecules, with countless possible combinations. This collection of articles (a Special Issue from Molecules) brings together the most up-to-date studies on the use of plant-derived compounds, ranging from their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects to the revision of the prominent literature.

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As one of the major nutrients in the human diet, food proteins are important for human health and wellbeing. In addition to providing a source of energy and amino acids for synthesizing body proteins, food proteins are vital for many physiological processes, such as structure, function, synthesis, restoration, and transportation. Protein hydrolysates composed of small peptides are absorbed more rapidly than free amino acids and intact proteins, and they can improve the retention of proteins in the human body. Moreover, the supplementation of proteins and peptides is proposed as an effective dietary strategy in prevention and/or adjunctive treatment of various lifestyle- and aging-related diseases (e.g., type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cancer, liver disease, sarcopenia, and cardiovascular disease). The planned Special Issue on the “Effect of Protein and Peptide Supplementation on Physical Performance and Health Status” will include original studies and review articles focusing on the impact of proteins, peptides, and products enriched with them on human physical performance and health status, as well as their absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.

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The reprint focuses on fundamental and applied research on environmentally friendly manufacturing of food additives and its effect on the structural features and functional applications of functional ingredients in several fields. Food additives and functional ingredients are naturally or artificially synthesized substances that are added to foodstuffs to improve their color, aroma, and taste, as well as to meet anti-corrosion and other technological purposes. The innovation of clean production, encompassing environmental and sustainability issues in the manufacturing process of food additives and functional ingredients is of particular interest. Special attention is given to their bioconversion, extraction, separation and purification, stabilization, formulation and compounding, etc., as well as relevant process intensification and integration.

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The health benefits of food, plants, fruits, and seaweeds stem from the biological activities of their constituents—namely, secondary metabolites. The study of secondary metabolites and their potential to treat and/or prevent a number of diseases has become a research topic of growing interest for biologists, pharmacists, and chemists. Notably, in order to propose a compound as a potential new drug with pharmacological effects, the chemical structure of this compound and its biological activity against a given target must be well established. The Special Issue, “Isolation and Identification of Bioactive Secondary Metabolites”, considers species beyond their nutritional value and identifies instances of wider and more efficient use, thereby contributing to a more sustainable management of natural resources. The fifteen articles published in this Special Issue reflect the latest research trends, and consider the isolation, identification, and assessment of the beneficial effects of secondary metabolites from both edible and inedible species. Thus, these contributions collectively demonstrate that these compounds, and their plants of origin, should be valued beyond their nutritional benefits.

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This reprint covers a wide range of topics including, but not limited to, new analytical and bioanalytical methods relevant to the separation, identification, and determination of substances in pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, nanobiotechnology, clinical chemistry, and related disciplines; methods for the identification of bioactive compounds in functional foods and medicinal plants; applications of chromatography and allied techniques in biomedical sciences.

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This reprint describes the ability of some foods or natural substances extracted by plants to counteract some of the most common diseases at present, such as obesity, diabetes, intestinal inflammatory diseases, and neurodegeneration. It is well accepted that high-fat diets that are rich in saturated fats are involved in the onset and progression of obesity and its dangerous comorbidities. It is also well accepted that a balanced diet is useful to maintain a good health status and the choice of certain foods could help to counteract the onset of chronic diseases. Foods and natural substances rich in compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties should be paid attention. Most of these foods belong to the Mediterranean Diet, and they are famous for being rich of unsaturated fatty acids, such as the oleic acid found in extra-virgin olive oil, or the omega 3 contained in fish, vitamin D and vitamin C with their high anti-oxidant capacity, and spices and nuts that can counteract inflammatory status. These substances have also anti-obesity properties, because they are able to reduce fat mass and and restore the physiological role of fat tissue. Therefore, strict adherence to this healthy diet could be enough to prevent the onset of chronic diseases linked to fatty diets or aging. The scientific data collected in this reprint could provide new insights, allowing for readers to change their own dietary habits and make more informed food choices.

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The Special Issue entitled “Pediatric and adolescent nephrology facing the future: diagnostic advances and prognostic biomarkers in everyday practice” contains articles written in the era when COVID-19 had not yet been a major clinical problem in children. Now that we know its multifaceted clinical course, complications concerning the kidneys, and childhood-specific post-COVID pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS), the value of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in the pediatric area should be appreciated, and their importance ought to increase.

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This reprint contains 11 chapters on a wide range of subjects related to the impacts of different types of epidemics on our ability to practice personalized medicine. Together, these chapters provide a broad overview with many different examples of epidemics. The personalization of medicine is present both despite and because of epidemics. Many more examples are possible, but this reprint offers a primary overview emphasizing the widely spread relevance of the topic.

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