Bioactive compounds in childhood obesity and associated metabolic complications: Current evidence, controversies and perspectives
Metadata
Show full item recordEditorial
Elsevier
Materia
Bioactive compounds Pediatric obesity Overweight children treatment Metabolic syndrome Biotics Polyphenols
Date
2022-12-09Referencia bibliográfica
Giulia Fiore... [et al.]. Bioactive compounds in childhood obesity and associated metabolic complications: Current evidence, controversies and perspectives, Pharmacological Research, Volume 187, 2023, 106599, ISSN 1043-6618, [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106599]
Abstract
Obesity represents the most frequent chronic disease among children worldwide, with a significant global burden
on society. Metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) can affect children since their first years of life, and novel
therapeutic strategies to tackle metabolic complications are under investigation. This review focuses on bioactive
compounds and their possible beneficial effects on obesity, particularly omega-3, docosahexaenoic acid, vitamin
D, biotics, polysaccharide macromolecules, polyphenols, inositols, alpha lipoic acid, and bromelaine. Our aim is
to summarize current evidence about bioactive compounds in the treatment of obesity, highlighting recent
findings on their use in children and adolescents. Most studied molecules are omega-3 and vitamin D, despite the
heterogeneity between the studies. Moreover, given the emerging interest in the gut-brain axis in the link between
metabolic health and microbiota, various studies on prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and
polysaccharide macromolecules have been considered. Some preclinical studies seem to highlight a possible role
of the polyphenols, even if their clinical evidence is still discussed. Lastly, we describe possible effects of inositols
and alpha-lipoic acid. Despite some dietary supplements seem to be promising in overweight subjects, only in a
few of them a dose/response efficacy has been found in the pediatric age. Innovative, well-designed and targeted
clinical trials are then needed to prove the beneficial effects of these compounds that could support the standard
behavioral therapy for obesity.