REVIEW article
Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Translational and Clinical Endocrinology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1655875
This article is part of the Research TopicNaturally Occurring Compounds and Their Applications in Endocrinology: Mechanisms, Therapeutic Potential and Clinical ApplicationsView all 7 articles
Chapter: Metabolic Regulation of Obesity by Naturally Occurring Compounds: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential
Provisionally accepted
- Atmiya University, Rajkot, India
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Theglobalobesityepidemiccontinuestoescalate,drivingdemandforsaferandmoreeffectivetherapeuticstrategies.Thisreviewevaluatesthepotentialofnaturalbioactivecompoundsasmulti-targetedinterventionsforobesitymanagement.Plant-derivedpolyphenols(e.g.,EGCG,resveratrol),alkaloids(e.g.,berberine),andmarinecarotenoids(e.g.,fucoxanthin)demonstrateremarkablecapacitytomodulatefundamentalobesitypathwaysthrough:(1)suppressionofadipogenesisviaPPARγandC/EBPαinhibition;(2)activationoflipolysisthroughHSLstimulationandAMPKphosphorylation;(3)enhancementofthermogenesisviaUCP1upregulation;and(4)gutmicrobiomemodulationthrough SCFA production. Clinical evidence supports the efficacy of selected compounds, with green tea catechins showing 4-5% body fat reduction and berberine demonstrating significant metabolic improvements. These natural agents offer distinct advantages over conventional drugs through their pleiotropic mechanisms and favorable safety profiles. However, bioavailability limitations and inter-individual variability present significant challenges. Innovative delivery systems, including nanoencapsulation and phospholipid complexes, show promise for enhancing therapeutic potential. The review highlights emerging strategies combining microbiome modulation with precision nutrition approaches, while emphasizing the need for standardized clinical protocols. By bridging ethnopharmacological knowledge with modern scientific validation, natural compounds represent a promising avenue for developing sustainable, multi-targeted ant obesity therapies that address both physiological and metabolic aspects of this complex disorder.
Keywords: Bioactivecompounds, Metabolicpathways, Adipogenesis, Lipolysis, Gutmicrobiota, Drugdelivery
Received: 28 Jun 2025; Accepted: 18 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Das, Yagnik, Raninga and Banerjee. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Debashis Banerjee, Atmiya University, Rajkot, India
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