Browning of Adipocytes: A Potential Therapeutic Approach to Obesity
The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity suggests that current strategies based on diet, exercise, and pharmacological knowledge are not sufficient to tackle this epidemic. Obesity results from a high caloric intake and energy storage, the latter by white adipose tissue (WAT), and when ne...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/9/2229 |
| _version_ | 1797601940073349120 |
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| author | Vittoria Schirinzi Carolina Poli Chiara Berteotti Alessandro Leone |
| author_facet | Vittoria Schirinzi Carolina Poli Chiara Berteotti Alessandro Leone |
| author_sort | Vittoria Schirinzi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity suggests that current strategies based on diet, exercise, and pharmacological knowledge are not sufficient to tackle this epidemic. Obesity results from a high caloric intake and energy storage, the latter by white adipose tissue (WAT), and when neither are counterbalanced by an equally high energy expenditure. As a matter of fact, current research is focused on developing new strategies to increase energy expenditure. Against this background, brown adipose tissue (BAT), whose importance has recently been re-evaluated via the use of modern positron emission techniques (PET), is receiving a great deal of attention from research institutions worldwide, as its main function is to dissipate energy in the form of heat via a process called thermogenesis. A substantial reduction in BAT occurs during normal growth in humans and hence it is not easily exploitable. In recent years, scientific research has made great strides and investigated strategies that focus on expanding BAT and activating the existing BAT. The present review summarizes current knowledge about the various molecules that can be used to promote white-to-brown adipose tissue conversion and energy expenditure in order to assess the potential role of thermogenic nutraceuticals. This includes tools that could represent, in the future, a valid weapon against the obesity epidemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:10:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a90231208f304f668c93b279fced604b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:10:19Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-a90231208f304f668c93b279fced604b2023-11-17T23:30:53ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432023-05-01159222910.3390/nu15092229Browning of Adipocytes: A Potential Therapeutic Approach to ObesityVittoria Schirinzi0Carolina Poli1Chiara Berteotti2Alessandro Leone3Endocrinology and Care of Diabetes Unit—Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria S. Orsola Malpighi, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyIRCCS—Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria S. Orsola Malpighi, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyPRISM Lab, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyInternational Center for the Assessment of Nutritional Status and the Development of Dietary Intervention Strategies (ICANS-DIS), Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133 Milan, ItalyThe increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity suggests that current strategies based on diet, exercise, and pharmacological knowledge are not sufficient to tackle this epidemic. Obesity results from a high caloric intake and energy storage, the latter by white adipose tissue (WAT), and when neither are counterbalanced by an equally high energy expenditure. As a matter of fact, current research is focused on developing new strategies to increase energy expenditure. Against this background, brown adipose tissue (BAT), whose importance has recently been re-evaluated via the use of modern positron emission techniques (PET), is receiving a great deal of attention from research institutions worldwide, as its main function is to dissipate energy in the form of heat via a process called thermogenesis. A substantial reduction in BAT occurs during normal growth in humans and hence it is not easily exploitable. In recent years, scientific research has made great strides and investigated strategies that focus on expanding BAT and activating the existing BAT. The present review summarizes current knowledge about the various molecules that can be used to promote white-to-brown adipose tissue conversion and energy expenditure in order to assess the potential role of thermogenic nutraceuticals. This includes tools that could represent, in the future, a valid weapon against the obesity epidemic.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/9/2229brown adipose tissueobesitythermogenic nutraceuticalsthermogenesisbrowning |
| spellingShingle | Vittoria Schirinzi Carolina Poli Chiara Berteotti Alessandro Leone Browning of Adipocytes: A Potential Therapeutic Approach to Obesity Nutrients brown adipose tissue obesity thermogenic nutraceuticals thermogenesis browning |
| title | Browning of Adipocytes: A Potential Therapeutic Approach to Obesity |
| title_full | Browning of Adipocytes: A Potential Therapeutic Approach to Obesity |
| title_fullStr | Browning of Adipocytes: A Potential Therapeutic Approach to Obesity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Browning of Adipocytes: A Potential Therapeutic Approach to Obesity |
| title_short | Browning of Adipocytes: A Potential Therapeutic Approach to Obesity |
| title_sort | browning of adipocytes a potential therapeutic approach to obesity |
| topic | brown adipose tissue obesity thermogenic nutraceuticals thermogenesis browning |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/9/2229 |
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