Volume 8 Number 1 2025
Plant-Derived Nutraceuticals in Obesity Management: Multi-Targeted Mechanisms Bridging Metabolism, Inflammation, and Neurocognitive Health
Jannatul Afsana Mili 1*
Advances in Herbal Research 8 (1) 1-8 https://doi.org/10.25163/ahi.8110557
Submitted: 11 October 2025 Revised: 06 December 2025 Accepted: 11 December 2025 Published: 13 December 2025
Obesity, despite being widely recognized and extensively studied, remains curiously resistant to simple solutions. It is not merely a matter of excess weight but rather a deeply intertwined metabolic condition shaped by inflammation, hormonal imbalance, and, increasingly, neurological dysfunction. Against this complex backdrop, plant-derived nutraceuticals have begun to attract attention—not as replacements for conventional therapies, but perhaps as complementary agents capable of addressing multiple pathways simultaneously. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the role of bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and xanthones, in obesity management. Drawing from clinical studies, animal models, and mechanistic investigations, the findings suggest that these compounds exert modest yet consistent effects on body weight, lipid metabolism, glucose regulation, and inflammatory signaling. More intriguingly, emerging data indicate potential benefits extending to cognitive function, hinting at a broader neuro-metabolic interplay. Mechanistically, nutraceuticals appear to influence key regulatory pathways such as AMPK activation, PPARγ inhibition, and cytokine modulation, while also interacting with gut microbiota and energy expenditure processes. However, the evidence, while promising, remains uneven—often limited by variability in study design, bioavailability concerns, and a reliance on preclinical models. Taken together, plant-derived nutraceuticals offer a multi-targeted and biologically plausible approach to obesity management, though their clinical translation requires more rigorous and standardized investigation.
Keywords: Obesity; Nutraceuticals; Polyphenols; Metabolic Syndrome; Neuro-Metabolic Axis
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