Pyroptosis: A Novel Therapeutic Target for Bioactive Compounds in Human Disease Treatment? A Narrative Review

Background/Objectives: Bioactive compounds possess the ability to maintain health and improve diseases by regulating inflammation and cell death processes. Pyroptosis is programmed cell death related to inflammation and exerts a critical role in the development and progression of different types of diseases. This narrative review aims to investigate and discuss the effects of dietary bioactive compounds on pyroptosis in different common human pathologies, such as inflammatory disease, bacterial infection, injury disease, cancer, diabetes and heart disease, etc. Method: Studies published in the major databases until December 2024 in English were considered, for a total of 50 papers. Results: The current evidence demonstrated that the bioactive compounds are able to regulate the pyroptosis process by modulating different inflammasome sensors (NLRP1, NLRP3, and AIM2), caspase family proteins (caspase-1, caspase-3, and caspase-11), and gasdermins (GSDMD and GSDME) in many pathological conditions related to inflammation, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Conclusions: Bioactive compounds have powerful potential to be the candidate drug for pyroptosis modulation in inflammatory diseases, even if more clinical studies are needed to confirm the effects and establish efficient doses for humans.