Phytochemicals in the Management of Metabolic Disorders: Molecular Mechanisms and Pharmacological Evidence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/hc1jkq79Keywords:
Metabolic disorders, Molecular mechanisms, Phytochemicals, Polyphenols, Therapeutic potentialAbstract
Metabolic disorders, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, are driven by interconnected disturbances in insulin signalling, lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial function, and energy homeostasis. Despite extensive experimental evidence supporting phytochemicals as multi-target metabolic modulators, their clinical translation remains limited by variable bioavailability, inconsistent formulations, heterogeneous dosing, and insufficient high-quality human studies. This review aims to synthesise current mechanistic, pharmacological, and clinical evidence on major phytochemical classes and their therapeutic relevance across common metabolic disorders. The review integrates evidence on polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, curcuminoids, phytosterols, terpenoids, alkaloids, and related plant-derived compounds from dietary and medicinal sources. Available findings indicate that phytochemicals can modulate AMP-activated protein kinase, PI3K/Akt, Nrf2, NF-κB, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, autophagy, mitophagy, adipokine signalling, and epigenetic regulation, thereby improving glucose utilisation, insulin sensitivity, lipid handling, redox balance, and inflammatory control. Their potential extends across diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, hepatic steatosis, and associated skeletal muscle dysfunction. Preclinical evidence is generally consistent, whereas clinical findings remain heterogeneous. Phytochemicals represent promising adjunctive candidates for metabolic disease management, but reliable clinical integration will require standardised preparations, pharmacokinetic optimisation, rigorous safety assessment, and adequately powered randomized trials with clinically meaningful endpoints.
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