Some Biochemical Studies on Natural Plants in Relation to Obesity

Abstract

Obesity increases the probability of various illnesses especially diabetes mellitus type 2, heart disease, osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnea and some types of cancer. It is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive food energy intake, lack of physical activity and genetic susceptibility, even though a few cases are caused mainly by genes, endocrine disorders, medications or psychiatric illness. Obesity is the expansion of white adipose tissue (WAT), the most effective lipid storage organ in the body. In obese subjects, white adipocytes in WAT have increased free fatty acids (FFAs) release through lipolysis process leading to elevated levels of serum fatty acids. This overflow of lipids from obese adipose depots has been considered a key reason for obesity-associated insulin resistance for several decades. Moringa oleifera is the most widely known of the 13 species in the genus Moringa of family Moringaceae. Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) is an evergreen and shrubby herb that belongs to mint family, Lamiaceae. The present study was designed to investigate the obesity produced by high fat diet and the possible ameliorative role of natural plants (Moringa, Hibiscus and Rosemary) against obesity through determination of blood glucose levels. HFD-rats supplemented with moringa or hibiscus or rosemary extract showed insignificant decrease in fasting blood glucose (FBG) when compared with rats fed HFD only. From this study that provides information about benefical effects of moringa, hibiscus and rosemary against obesity it may be concluded to use moringa or hibiscus or rosemary extract for management of obesity and pathologies associated with it.