Premium
Modulation of leptin resistance by food compounds
Author(s) -
Aragonès Gerard,
ArdidRuiz Andrea,
Ibars Maria,
Suárez Manuel,
Bladé Cinta
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
molecular nutrition and food research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.495
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1613-4133
pISSN - 1613-4125
DOI - 10.1002/mnfr.201500964
Subject(s) - leptin , orexigenic , energy homeostasis , medicine , endocrinology , proopiomelanocortin , anorectic , adipokine , adipose tissue , leptin receptor , hypothalamus , appetite , insulin resistance , chemistry , neuropeptide y receptor , biology , food intake , obesity , neuropeptide , receptor
Leptin is mainly secreted by white adipose tissue and regulates energy homeostasis by inhibiting food intake and stimulating energy expenditure through its action in neuronal circuits in the brain, particularly in the hypothalamus. However, hyperleptinemia coexists with the loss of responsiveness to leptin in common obese conditions. This phenomenon has been defined as leptin resistance and the restoration of leptin sensitivity is considered to be a useful strategy to treat obesity. This review summarizes the existing literature on potentially valuable nutrients and food components to reverse leptin resistance. Notably, several food compounds, such as teasaponins, resveratrol, celastrol, caffeine, and taurine among others, are able to restore the leptin signaling in neurons by overexpressing anorexigenic peptides (proopiomelanocortin) and/or repressing orexigenic peptides (neuropeptide Y/agouti‐related peptide), thus decreasing food intake. Additionally, some nutrients, such as vitamins A and D, can improve leptin transport through the blood–brain barrier. Therefore, food components can improve leptin resistance by acting at different levels of the leptin pathway; moreover, some compounds are able to target more than one feature of leptin resistance. However, systematic studies are necessary to define the actual effectiveness of each compound.