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A Review on Obesity Management Through Natural Compounds and a Green Nanomedicine-Based Approach

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A Review on Obesity Management Through Natural Compounds and a Green Nanomedicine-Based Approach molecules Review A Review on Obesity Management through Natural Compounds and a Green Nanomedicine-Based Approach Monika Bhardwaj 1, Poonam Yadav 1, Divya Vashishth 1, Kavita Sharma 2, Ajay Kumar 3, Jyoti Chahal 4, Sunita Dalal 5 and Sudhir Kumar Kataria 1,* 1 Department of Zoology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak 124001, India; [email protected] (M.B.); [email protected] (P.Y.); [email protected] (D.V.) 2 Department of Zoology, Gaur Brahman Degree College, Rohtak 124001, India; [email protected] 3 Department of Zoology, Maharaja Neempal Singh Government College, Bhiwani 127021, India; [email protected] 4 Department of Zoology, Hindu Girls College, Sonipat 131001, India; [email protected] 5 Department of Biotechnology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra 136119, India; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] or [email protected] Abstract: Obesity is a serious health complication in almost every corner of the world. Excessive weight gain results in the onset of several other health issues such as type II diabetes, cancer, respira- tory diseases, musculoskeletal disorders (especially osteoarthritis), and cardiovascular diseases. As allopathic medications and derived pharmaceuticals are partially successful in overcoming this health complication, there is an incessant need to develop new alternative anti-obesity strategies with long Citation: Bhardwaj, M.; Yadav, P.; term efficacy and less side effects. Plants harbor secondary metabolites such as phenolics, flavonoids, Vashishth, D.; Sharma, K.; Kumar, A.; terpenoids and other specific compounds that have been shown to have effective anti-obesity proper- Chahal, J.; Dalal, S.; Kataria, S.K. ties. Nanoencapsulation of these secondary metabolites enhances the anti-obesity efficacy of these A Review on Obesity Management natural compounds due to their speculated property of target specificity and enhanced efficiency. through Natural Compounds and a These nanoencapsulated and naive secondary metabolites show anti-obesity properties mainly by Green Nanomedicine-Based inhibiting the lipid and carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes, suppression of adipogenesis and ap- Approach. Molecules 2021, 26, 3278. petite, and enhancing energy metabolism. This review focuses on the plants and their secondary https://doi.org/10.3390/ metabolites, along with their nanoencapsulation, that have anti-obesity effects, with their possible molecules26113278 acting mechanisms, for better human health. Academic Editors: Filomena Conforti and Sun-Shin Yi Keywords: obesity; nanoencapsulation; secondary metabolites and adipogenesis Received: 27 February 2021 Accepted: 21 May 2021 Published: 28 May 2021 1. Introduction In past few decades, overweight and obese cases among people of all age groups have Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral become a serious health issue. According to the WHO, obesity is mainly considered as with regard to jurisdictional claims in excessive and abnormal fat accumulation that can lead to improper health functioning. published maps and institutional affil- Approximately 1.9 billion adults were overweight with a basal metabolic index (BMI ≥ 25) iations. and among these, 650 million adults were obese (BMI ≥ 30), in 2016. The frequency of obesity almost tripled from 1975 to 2016. In 2019, an estimated 38.2 million children under 5 years old were obese all over the world and almost 50% of total children in Asia were obese or overweight [1]. Obesity is mainly due to genetic, environment and behavioral Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. factors [2]. It mainly occurs due to an increase in the ratio of calories or energy intake to Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. the calories or energy expenditure, which results from genetic susceptibility and lethargic This article is an open access article lifestyle modifications [3]. Obesity and excessive weight gain can be controlled by modifi- distributed under the terms and cations in diet and increased physical exercise, but these approaches are not rapid, so many conditions of the Creative Commons people prefer chemical medications over these approaches for effective results [4]. Various Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// chemical medications are available in the market that have anti-obesity property, such as creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ orlistat, fenfluramine, coreaserin, rimonabant, cetlistat, sibutramine, and phentermine with 4.0/). Molecules 2021, 26, 3278. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113278 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules Molecules 2021, 26, x 2 of 22 Molecules 2021, 26, 3278 2 of 28 ti-obesity property, such as orlistat, fenfluramine, coreaserin, rimonabant, cetlistat, sibu- tramine, and phentermine with topiramate, with different efficacy to control obesity [5,6]. topiramate,These medications with different have several efficacy adverse to control effects obesity on [ 5health,6]. These like medications cardiometabolic have severalabnor- adversemalities, effectsanxiety, on healthhigh blood like cardiometabolic pressure and abnormalities,pulse rate, and anxiety, depressive high blooddisorders pressure [7]. andTherefore, pulse rate,more and sophisticated depressive disordersefforts should [7]. Therefore, be done moreto discover sophisticated natural efforts anti-obesity should beagents done with to discover less side natural effects anti-obesityand more efficiency. agents with Accordingly, less side effects several and natural more secondary efficiency. Accordingly,metabolites present several naturalin different secondary plants metabolites like polyphenols, present in flavonoids, different plants terpenoids, like polyphe- alka- nols,loids,flavonoids, saponins, carboxylic terpenoids, acids, alkaloids, glycosides saponins, and tannins carboxylic are acids,reported glycosides to have andanti-obesity tannins areefficacy reported through to have different anti-obesity mechanisms efficacy of through action. differentSeveral bioactive mechanisms compounds of action. in Several edible bioactiveplants, such compounds as green in tea edible with plants, epigallocatech such as greenins, nobiletin tea with epigallocatechins,in citrus peel, resveratrol, nobiletin inpterostilbene citrus peel, in resveratrol, berries, curcumin pterostilbene in turmeric, in berries, and curcumin anthocyanins in turmeric, in Hibiscus and anthocyaninssabdariffa, are inreportedHibiscus to sabdariffa suppress, arethe reported obesity-causing to suppress factors the obesity-causing[8,9]. Nanotechnology factors and [8,9 ].nanoencap- Nanotech- nologysulation and of these nanoencapsulation secondary metabolites of these secondary opens up metabolitesa new horizon opens for up overcoming a new horizon this foraforementioned overcoming thishealth aforementioned issue. These healthbiochemi issue.cals These can be biochemicals encapsulated can with be encapsulated biocompati- withble nanoparticles, biocompatible which nanoparticles, enhances which their enhancestarget specificity, their target bioavailability, specificity, bioavailability, stability and stabilityaqueous andsolubility aqueous [10]. solubility The basic [10 pathogenesis]. The basic pathogenesis of obesity mainly of obesity includes mainly an includesincrease anin increaseappetite inand appetite a decrease and ain decrease calorie expenditure in calorie expenditure by modulating by modulating physical physicalactivity and activity cel- andlular cellular functioning. functioning. These abnormalities These abnormalities increase increase the process the process of adipogenesis, of adipogenesis, which which in turn in turnincreases increases the release the release of cytokines of cytokines and and vascular vascular complications complications leading leading to to cardiovascular cardiovascular system disorders like atherosclerosis andand hyperlipidemia.hyperlipidemia. The various factors responsible for the induction of obesity and other relatedrelated healthhealth disordersdisorders areare shownshown inin FigureFigure1 1.. Figure 1. Obesity regulatory factors. 2. Role of Natural Products in Obesity: Regulation of Metabolism The naturalnatural products products present present in differentin different plant plant resources resources alter thealter regulation the regulation of various of enzymesvarious enzymes and genetic and factors genetic through factors differentthrough actingdifferent mechanisms acting mechanisms (Figure2). These(Figure sec- 2). ondaryThese secondary metabolites metabolites inhibit carbohydrate inhibit carbohydrate and lipid metabolizingand lipid metabolizing enzymes like enzymesα-amylase, like α-amylase,-glucosidases α-glucosidases and different and lipases different present lipases in the present gastrointestinal in the gastrointestinal tract. Amylases tract. and glucosidasesAmylases and are glucosidases the main key are enzymes the main responsible key enzymes for responsible digesting the for carbohydrates digesting the andcar- resultbohydrates in release and ofresult glucose in release via glucose of glucose transporters via glucose [11]. An transporters increase in [11]. the levelAn increase of glucose in abovethe level normal of glucose ultimately above results normal in the ultimately release of results insulin in from the pancreaticrelease of cellsinsulin and from initiation pan- ofcreatic three cells pathways and initiation (glycogenesis, of three glycolysis pathways and (glycogenesis, de novo lipogenesis) glycolys tois decrease and de novo glucose lipo- in thegenesis) blood to [12 decrease]. The synthesis glucose
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