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Recent developments in natural products for white adipose tissue browning
Peng Ma1, Ping He1, Chun-Yang Xu2
1State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Target and Screening Research, Beijing 100050, China.
Natural products can induce white adipose tissue (WAT) browning, a promising strategy for combating obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This review highlights seven natural product classes that promote WAT browning, offering potential therapeutic avenues for metabolic disorders.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic disorders
- Obesity research
- Adipose tissue biology
Background:
- Obesity, driven by energy imbalance, is a major global health issue linked to diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
- White adipose tissue (WAT) browning, converting WAT to brown-like (brite) fat, is a therapeutic target for obesity and metabolic disorders.
- Current strategies for WAT browning lack efficacy or have side effects, necessitating novel approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review natural products that promote WAT browning.
- To explore the therapeutic potential of these natural products for metabolic disorders.
- To identify promising natural product classes for drug discovery in obesity and diabetes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of natural products and their effects on WAT browning.
- Categorization of natural products into seven classes: alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, long chain fatty acids, phenolic acids, others, and extracts.
- Analysis of the impact of these natural products on metabolic parameters.
Main Results:
- Seven classes of natural products were identified as promoting WAT browning.
- These natural products demonstrated potential in ameliorating obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and diabetes.
- Natural products represent a viable drug discovery direction for metabolic diseases.
Conclusions:
- Natural products offer a promising strategy for inducing WAT browning and treating metabolic disorders.
- Further research into these natural products could lead to novel therapeutics for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
- Targeting WAT browning with natural products is a significant area for future drug development.
