Combined Potential of Orlistat with Natural Sources and Their Bioactive Compounds Against Obesity: A Review

Obesity represents a significant global public health issue, contributing to the rising prevalence of metabolic diseases. One treatment for obesity is orlistat, a drug that inhibits pancreatic lipase. It is widely used due to its efficacy in reducing dietary fat absorption. However, patient adherence to this drug is often hindered by its associated adverse effects. As a result, there is an increasing interest in exploring alternative therapeutic options derived from natural sources, such as plants and algae, particularly extracts and their bioactive compounds. These extracts and compounds have shown potential in inhibiting pancreatic lipase and other markers associated with obesity. Nevertheless, they also present certain limitations, including low bioavailability. In this context, combination therapy involving orlistat and these extracts or their compounds has emerged as a promising strategy. This approach aims to enhance the inhibition of pancreatic lipase and other obesity-related markers, thereby improving therapeutic outcomes and reducing adverse effects associated with treatment. The objective of this review is to analyze the available scientific evidence regarding the combined effects of orlistat and extracts or bioactive compounds in inhibiting various markers related to dyslipidemia and obesity, with the goal of proposing combination therapy as a safe and effective therapeutic option.