The Beneficial Effects of Essential Oils in Anti-Obesity Treatment

Abstract

Obesity is a complex disease caused by an excessive amount of body fat. Obesity is a medical problem and represents an important risk factor for the development of serious diseases such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some types of cancer. Not to be overlooked are the psychological issues that, in obese subjects, turn into very serious pathologies, such as depression, phobias, anxiety, and lack of self-esteem. In addition to modifying one’s lifestyle, the reduction of body mass can be promoted by different natural compounds such as essential oils (EOs). EOs are mixtures of aromatic substances produced by many plants, particularly in medicinal and aromatic ones. They are odorous and volatile and contain a mixture of terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and esters. Thanks to the characteristics of the various chemical components present in them, EOs are used in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical fields. Indeed, it has been shown that EOs possess great antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor powers. Emerging results also demonstrate the anti-obesity effects of EOs. We have examined the main data obtained in experimental studies and, in this review, we summarize the effect of EOs in obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases.

Bio-Waste Products of Mangifera indica L. Reduce Adipogenesis and Exert Antioxidant Effects on 3T3-L1 Cells

“…Nowadays, several plants, due to the presence of bioactive compounds, have shown beneficial effects on the prevention and treatment of obesity by inhibiting adipogenesis, stimulating lipolysis and reducing chronic low-grade inflammation in adipocytes [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

Plant Essential Oils as Healthy Functional Ingredients of Nutraceuticals and Diet Supplements: A Review

“…Clearly, a dietary intervention is key to treat such kind of conditions, and not surprisingly, the search for health-oriented foods and nutraceuticals has received major impetus [ 103 ]. Many essential oils have shown beneficial properties, and some of them are also receiving clinical validation [ 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 ]. Those receiving the highest attention in recent literature are discussed in the following sections.…”

“…In a comparative study on several terpenoid EO components, citral was the only one that showed mild inhibition of α-amilase compared to the reference drug acarbose. Instead, several monoterpenes (10 mM) showed inhibition of α-glucosidase with the following order of potency: (R)-(+)-limonene = (S)-(−)-perillyl alcohol > α-terpineol, while (R)-(+)-β-citronellol, terpinolene, citral, (R)-(−)-linalool, nerol, geraniol, and (S)-(−)-β-citronellol exerted weaker inhibition, and (L)-menthol and γ-terpinene did not show any significant α-glucosidase-inhibitory activity [ 107 ]. The same terpenes were tested for stimulation of glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, which represents another strategy to reduce glucose plasma levels.…”

Association of Vitamins D, B9 and B12 with Obesity-Related Diseases and Oral Microbiota Composition in Obese Women in Croatia

“…New findings suggest a causal link between microbial dysbiosis (which is responsible for the chronic systemic inflammation that affects insulin resistance) and obesity, indicating the change in the intestinal microbiota composition in obese subjects, with an increase in the phylum Firmicutes and a decrease in the phylum Bacteroidetes , which is associated with the high-fat diet and dysbiosis of gut microbiota ( 8 ).…”