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Biomedical investigators use different methods including experimental animals, tissue, and cell cultures as well as computational simulations and clinical studies finding the ways to treat human diseases and disorders. All the mentioned procedures have their own advantages and disadvantages. For instance although animal models provide some drawbacks like difference in biokinetics parameters or extrapolation of results to human, they are more reliable than in vitro tests. The disadvantage of the in vitro procedures is that they are mostly performed on cancerous cell lines that have a substantially abnormal function. Furthermore, although in vitro models are fruitfully used in biological fields, finding an end point, the initial aim of chemical attack, and extrapolation of the effects to the human are some real weaknesses. Absence of biokinetics in in vitro methods may lead to a misinterpretation of the data. The present review has criticized the pros and cons of both methods, especially in the fields of pharmacology, toxicology, and medical sciences.

The inflammatory process plays a central role in the development and progression of numerous pathological situations, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disorders. IBDs involve inflammation of the gastrointestinal area and mainly comprise Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Both pathological situations usually involve recurring or bloody diarrhea, pain, fatigue and weight loss. There is at present no pharmacological cure for CD or UC. However, surgery may be curative for UC patients. The prescribed treatment aims to ameliorate the symptoms and prevent and/or delay new painful episodes. Flavonoid compounds are a large family of hydroxylated polyphenolic molecules abundant in plants, including vegetables and fruits which are the major dietary sources of these compounds for humans, together with wine and tea. Flavonoids are becoming very popular because they have many health-promoting and disease-preventive effects. Most interest has been directed towards the antioxidant activity of flavonoids, evidencing a remarkable free-radical scavenging capacity. However, accumulating evidence suggests that flavonoids have many other biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anticancer, and neuroprotective activities through different mechanisms of action. The present review analyzes the available data about the different types of flavonoids and their potential effectiveness as adjuvant therapy of IBDs.

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