Recent Research Progress in Natural Bioactive Constituents against Lipid Metabolic Diseases

Lipid metabolic disorder refers to the dyslipidemia in the plasma. Abnormal working or lipid metabolism process leads to supernormal increase of one or multi kinds of lipids in plasma. It is a significant risk factor for many diseases and has become a serious danger to the mankind health. The clinical drugs adjusting lipid levels have a great variety in the market, side effects and adverse reactions. Meanwhile, many Chinese herbal medicines and natural medicines have the unnegligible role of regulating lipid metabolism, which become the research focus of medical workers in past decades. With advantages of fewer side effects, abundant resources and multi-target functions, terrestrial and marine bioactive constituents are proved as one of the important sources of the lead compounds in drug discovery and have been widely applied in the treatment and prevention of lipid metabolic diseases. In this paper, the recent advancements and current status of natural medicinal ingredients mainly based on lipid-lowering activities were reviewed in detail. Moreover, their bioactivity screening and important mechanisms in hyperlipemia progression were summarized and compared. It was also selectively introduced about related structural modification and new drug development on the basis of promising lead compounds. Finally, the current problems and possible prospects of natural constituents against lipid metabolism disorder in the future were discussed.