Therapeutic Targets for Phenolic Compounds from Agro-industrial By-products against Obesity

Abstract

Background: Obesity is considered a global epidemic. This disorder is associated with several health effects, such as metabolic disturbances that need both prevention and treatment actions. In this sense, bioactive secondary metabolites can be obtained from cheap sources such as agro-industrial waste, providing a sustainable alternative against obesity. Among these secondary metabolites, phenolic compounds present a common chemical structure core with different substitutions that provide them with biological properties such as antioxidant, inflammatory, and anti-aging capacities.

Objective: The aim of this review is to compile anti-obesity therapeutic targets for phenolic compounds from agro-industrial by-products.

Method: Scientific information has been obtained from different databases, such as Scopus, PubMed and Google Scholar, in order to select the available full-text studies conducted in the last few years.

Results: This review shows that peel, seed, pomace and other by-products from agro-industry have different effects inhibiting enzymes related to lipid or glucose metabolism and modulating biomarkers, genes and gut microbiota in animal models.

Conclusion: Revalorizing actions of agro-industrial byproducts in the prevention or treatment of obesity or associated disorders can be considered to develop new high value products that act on lipid, glucose and energy metabolisms, oxidative stress, inflammation, adipose tissue or gut microbiota. However, further human studies are needed in order to establish the optimal administration parameters.

Keywords: Phenolic compounds; agro-industry; by-products; food waste; metabolism; obesity.