Resveratrol (Res) is a well-known natural product that can exhibit important pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anti-diabetes, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory. An evaluation of its therapeutic effects demonstrates that this naturally occurring bioactive compound can target different molecular pathways to exert its pharmacological actions. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) is an important molecular pathway that is capable of regulating different cellular mechanisms such as proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. TGF-β has been reported to be involved in the development of disorders such as diabetes, cancer, inflammatory disorders, fibrosis, cardiovascular disorders, etc. In the present review, the relationship between Res and TGF-β has been investigated. It was noticed that Res can inhibit TGF-β to suppress the proliferation and migration of cancer cells. In addition, Res can improve fibrosis by reducing inflammation via promoting TGF-β down-regulation. Res has been reported to be also beneficial in the amelioration of diabetic complications via targeting the TGF-β signaling pathway. These topics are discussed in detail in this review to shed light on the protective effects of Res mediated via the modulation of TGF-β signaling.

Leishmaniasis is the neglected disease among parasitic diseases with an increasing rate of infections. Recently, numerous studies have been conducted on the leishmanicidal properties of various essential oils (EOs). In this resarch, literature have been systematically reviewed, from 20 years ago, and required information have been extracted. Overally, leishmanicidal effects of ~ 180 EOs against promastigotes of nine species of Leishmania have been documented. Inhibitory concentrations 50% (IC50) of around 30 essential oils were less than 10 µg.mL-1. Essential oils of Tetradenia riparia, Nectandra hihua, and Thymus hirtus with IC50s of 0.01, 0.20, and 0.25 µg.mL-1 against Leishmania amazonensis, Leishmania infantum, and Leishmania major respectively, were identified as the most effective essential oils. Furthermore, IC50 of Thymus hirtus on Leishmania infantum was 0.43 µg.mL-1. Frequently, substantial differences were found between the observed IC50s of one essential oil against promastigotes of different species of Leishmania. It can be concluded that the leishmanicidal activity of essential oils is selective. Turning to the results, the combination of essential oils for the design of multifunctional drugs can lead to excellent outcomes. Interestingly, the results have been classified by promastigote species, so this would be a valuable benchmark for researchers.