Search

Obesity is one of the leading causes of death because it is associated with most metabolic disorders in the body such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and cancers. Herbs are known to be natural sources of medicines. Scientists are working toward making plants the best alternative to synthetic drugs, majorly because it has no side effects, is low price and easily accessible, and offers solution to most chronic diseases, among others. Medicinally, constituents of plants are safer for consumption when based on therapeutic formulations. Important phytomolecules such as alkaloids, phenols, saponin, terpenoids, and flavonoids have been discovered to have anti-obesity properties. Most of these plant extracts are a mixture of different molecules, and not a single compound. The phytomolecules would exert their anti-obesity effect through their mechanism by acting on certain organ and cellular systems. This review tends to discuss briefly some of the major phytometabolities that have anti-obesity properties and the mechanism in which they execute their effects.

The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the biological impact of carotenoids and their metabolites on obesity management. The relationship between carotenoids and obesity management will be envisioned in clinical studies. Adipose tissue is a key organ in obesity etiology and the main storage site for carotenoids, thus we will first describe the carotenoids metabolism in adipocyte and adipose tissue and present the effect of carotenoids on biological processes that may be linked to obesity management in vitro and in preclinical studies. Beside adipose tissue, it is also now well established that the brain is strongly involved in obesity process, thus a part will be dedicated to the potential effect of carotenoids on obesity management via their biological effects on the brain.

The advent of surgical interventions in the 1950s to mechanically (and nonmechanically) prevent and treat obesity was received by certain health care professionals with shock, looking risky and disproportionate for an imbalance between calorie intake and expenditure. Newer anti-obesity devices run the gamut from merely curious to relative aggressive, sometimes reenacting a similar degree of surprise and disbelief. Nevertheless, they are not mere curiosities or experimental musings, but actual therapies are available for selected candidates. This chapter reviews a current sample of oral, intragastric, intrajejunal, and swallowable products, with the corresponding usage and contraindications.

Relatively little data are available on the use of modern anti-obesity drugs in early pregnancy. There seems to be no effect of the use of orlistat but an indicated doubling of malformation risk after sibutramine which should be avoided in early pregnancy.

As we are all aware, obesity has become one of the country’s major public health issues of the last few decades, with the number of the obese and super-obese rising steadily over that period of time. There is no magic cure to treat this patient population, and the medical community has come to realize that the old “standard” of diet and exercise has not reversed this trend. Drug and medical device companies have developed drugs and devices to treat obese patients. The mission of both CDER and CDRH is to protect and promote the public health by helping to assure that drugs and devices are safe and effective for their intended use and patient populations. To assure that these products meet the appropriate regulatory standards for marketing, FDA works with drug and device manufacturers throughout product development, regulatory analysis, and the post-marketing phases of their product. In this chapter we will present some of the drug and device data for weight loss, as well as the FDA surveillance of post-market data to continue the assessment of safety and effectiveness of these drugs and devices.

Because of their natural origin and reduced side effects, we are watching worldwide an extensive growth and increased popularity in the field of herbal mixtures. In contrast to synthetic pharmaceuticals based upon single compounds, many medicinal plants exert their beneficial pharmacological effects through synergistic or additive mechanisms of multiple active compounds acting at single or multiple cellular/tissue target sites associated with a physiological/pathological process. These additive or synergistic pharmacological effects are known to reduce or to eliminate side effects associated with the use of synthetic drugs. Synergistic effect of phytochemicals likely has its origin in their functional role in promoting plant survival. For instance, a mixture of active principles having additive or synergistic effects at multiple target sites would not only ensure effectiveness against a wide range of herbivores or phytopathogens but also decrease the chances of these organisms developing resistance or adaptive responses.