"The use of natural products as regulators of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ligands (PPARs-peroxisome prolifarator-activated receptors) and their effect on metabolic syndrome"

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is an important matter for the public health, it is the name of a group of risk factors which elevate the possibility for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes whilst it is mentioned as disorder of biochemical processes involved in energy use and storage by the organism. The two basic approaches for the regulation of the metabolic syndrome is the amelioration of life style (reduce of daily calorie intake combined with increase in daily physical activities), and the other approach is pharmacological intervention. This particular matter is a result of bibliographical research of modulators which affect the peroxisome-proliferate-activated- receptor (PPAR), with final target the improvement of the effects of the metabolic syndrome.

PPAR receptors are involved in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis a fact that makes them an interesting pharmacological target. PPARs induce or suppress the transcription of a great number of different genes related to the regulation of glucose, lipid and cholesterol metabolism (possible therapy for diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity and hypertension, which are basic factors for the metabolic syndrome). In particular, emphasis is given in the natural modulators of the PPARs. Natural products appear to have a wide variety of chemical compounds and from an evolutional aspect they are improved in order to execute diverse biological roles, this fact makes them an excellent field for the discovery of new drugs. The traditional use of herbal preparations might indicate the correlation between pharmacological effect and useful compound. Research has been made for the discovery of potent natural products which were used in traditional medicinal drugs and from the daily diet.

This approach is very appealing thanks to the fact that the activation of PPAR receptor can be accompliced through the daily diet or with simple dietary supplements whilst some of the activators are spices and herbs used in culinary activities or as decoctions.

SKOUMIDA Argiro