Anti-obesogenic effects of plant natural products: A focus on Korean traditional foods

Natural products from food products can play an important role in obesity management. Korean traditional food (KTF), characterized by a high inclusion of fresh or prepared vegetables, a reasonable contribution of fish, pulses, and with very little amount of meat, is one of the most recognized cuisines for its nutritional quality, diversity, and flavor. The traditional Korean food contains relevant phytochemicals and probiotic microorganisms with anticancer, anti-mutagenic, antioxidant, and anti-obesogenic properties. Obesity is a chronic degenerative pathology which causes adverse effects on health, low quality of life, and social costs. The use of fermentation as a conservation/preparation method increases the functional value of KTF, conferring new medicinal properties such as anti-obesogenic. This review article summarizes data about the anti-obesogenic properties of phytochemicals and KTF. Reviewed results indicated that several phytochemicals present in KTF (e.g., flavonoids, saponins, terpenes) exerted anti-obesogenic effects due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, inhibition of enzymes related to lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, inflection of lipid homeostasis, thermogenic, life cycle of adipocyte, and appetite suppression. Besides, both in vivo and medical research have showed that fermented products extensively included in KTF have a positive effect on the reduction of obesity through different mechanisms particularly by altering human metabolism and affecting gut microbiota. Some molecular mechanisms among these anti-obesogenic agents, are referred in research, focused on the search for phytochemicals that can intervene with leptin sensitizers, GLP1/glucagon dual agonists, GIP/GLP1/glucagon tri-agonists, amylin/calcitonin dual agonists, Y2R agonists, GIP/GLP1 dual agonists, drugs targeting the ghrelin pathway, and GLP1R agonists. Overall, the current review highlighted the anti-obesogenic impact of KTF in accordance with the low rate of obesity in a Korean population.