A Review of the Anti-Obesity Effects of Wild Edible Plants in the Mediterranean Diet and Their Active Compounds: From Traditional Uses to Action Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets

Abstract

Obesity is a long-term condition resulting from a continuous imbalance between the amount of energy consumed and expended. It is associated with premature mortality and contributes to a large portion of the global chronic disease burden, including diabesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and some cancers. While lifestyle changes and dietary adjustments are the primary ways to manage obesity, they may not always be sufficient for long-term weight loss. In these cases, medication may be necessary. However, the options for drugs are limited due to their potential side effects. As a result, there is a need to identify safe and effective alternative treatments. Recently, dietary compounds, plants, and bioactive phytochemicals have been considered as promising sources for discovering new pharmacological agents to treat obesity and its related complications. These natural products can function independently or synergistically with other plants to augment their effects at various levels of the body. They can modulate appetite, lipase activity, thermogenesis and fat synthesis and degradation, satiation, adipogenesis, and adipocyte apoptosis. Additionally, targeting adipocyte growth and differentiation with diverse medicinal plants/diet is a significant strategy for devising new anti-obesity drugs that can intervene in preadipocytes, maturing preadipocytes, and mature adipocytes. Clinical trials have shown that the wild edible plants in the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of obesity and its related diseases. This review examines the effectiveness of the common components of the Mediterranean diet in managing obesity and its associated health issues. We conducted a comprehensive literature review using PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Medline Plus to gather data on the therapeutic effects of the Mediterranean diet and phytochemicals in treating obesity and its associated diseases.

Potential Therapeutic Properties of Olea europaea Leaves from Selected Cultivars Based on Their Mineral and Organic Profiles

“…An interesting alternative for upgrading efficacy while reducing therapeutic costs is the resource of potential herbal medicines, since their phytochemicals can either act directly on blood vessels through a vasorelaxant effect or indirectly through inhibition or stimulation of diverse systems, such as ACE, renin–angiotensin system (RAS), or diuretic activity [ 115 ]. The anti-hypertensive and cholesterol-lowering actions of olive leaves are well documented [ 21 ], as well as their hypotensive bioactives such as oleuropein, oleacein and oleanolic acid, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and terpenoids [ 116 , 117 ]. OLE taken at 1000 mg daily effectively lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressures in subjects with stage-1 hypertension, with a comparable effect to a Captopril ® dose of 12.5–25 mg twice daily [ 118 ].…”

Anti-Obesity Effect and Signaling Mechanism of Potassium Poly-γ-Glutamate Produced by Bacillus subtilis Chungkookjang in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice

“…Daidzein and genistein, found abundantly in fermented soybean foods, are acknowledged for their bioactive properties, influencing lipid metabolism and thermogenesis in vivo [ 14 , 45 ]. Aglycones and metabolites demonstrate their anti-obesity effects by affecting processes such as lipogenesis (the synthesis of fatty acids and triglycerides), hyperlipidemia (elevated levels of fat particles in the blood), hyperglycemia (increased blood glucose levels), and enhanced insulin resistance [ 46 ]. γ-PGA is a hydrolyzed biopolymer composed of L-glutamic acid and/or D-glutamic acid monomers produced when Bacillus subtilis ferments soybeans [ 17 , 18 , 47 ].…”

Red Oranges and Olive Leaf Waste-Derived Bioactive Extracts Promote Adipocyte Functionality In Vitro

“…Consequently, there is a demand for identifying safe and efficient alternative treatments or prevention protocols. In recent years, attention has turned to food waste, plants, and bioactive phytochemicals as encouraging sources for identifying novel pharmacological agents to address obesity and its associated complications [ 24 ]. Plant-derived natural compounds, including phenolic compounds, are gaining attraction as therapeutic agents.…”