Abstract
Natural compounds have been used to develop drugs for many decades. Vast diversities and minimum side effects make natural compounds a good source for drug development. However, the composition and concentrations of natural compounds can vary. Despite this inconsistency, half of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved pharmaceuticals are natural compounds or their derivatives. Therefore, it is essential to continuously investigate natural compounds as sources of new pharmaceuticals. This review provides comprehensive information and analysis on natural compounds from plants (phytogenic compounds) that may serve as anti-obesity and/or anti-diabetes therapeutics. Our growing understanding and further exploration of the mechanisms of action of the phytogenic compounds may afford opportunities for development of therapeutic interventions in metabolic diseases.
Highlights
History of Natural CompoundsLiving organisms found in nature have chemical compounds or substances collectively termed natural compounds [1]
When capsaicin was administered to Zucker diabetic fatty rats, a reduction of blood glucose level and higher plasma insulin levels was evident compared to the control group [62]
To verify the effect of the same compounds, identical experiments conducted with an animal model showing a phenotype of both obesity and diabetes, such as B6.Cg-Lepob/J and B6.BSK(D)-Lepdb/J mice, are needed
Summary
Living organisms found in nature have chemical compounds or substances collectively termed natural compounds [1]. The various sources of natural compounds include plants, animals, and microorganisms [2]. We deal with natural compounds in general but mainly focus on plant natural compounds, otherwise known as phytogenic compounds. Phytogenic compounds have been used for treatment of many diseases for millennia. Aspirin was first extracted from the willow tree by Hippocrates in the fifth century BC; its uses include relief of fever and pain, and in childbirth [3]. Natural compounds are usually crude extracts featuring a mixture of either fresh or dried material. While traditional extraction techniques were too crude and slow to purify each single compound [5], advancements in basic science and technology, such as nuclear magnetic resonance, high-performance liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry, has made analysis of natural compounds more efficient [6,7]
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