Anthocyanins ameliorate obesity-associated metainflammation: Preclinical and clinical evidence

The growing rates of obesity worldwide call for intervention strategies to help control the pathophysiological consequences of weight gain. The use of natural foods and bioactive compounds has been suggested as such a strategy because of their recognized antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. For example, polyphenols, especially anthocyanins, are candidates for managing obesity and its related metabolic disorders. Obesity is well known for the presence of metainflammation, which has been labeled as an inflammatory acti-vation that leads to a variety of metabolic disorders, usually related to increased oxidative stress. Considering this, anthocyanins may be promising natural compounds able to mod-ulate several intracellular mechanisms, mitigating oxidative stress and metainflammation. A wide variety of foods and extracts rich in anthocyanins have become the focus of re-search in the field of obesity. Here, we bring together the current knowledge regarding the use of anthocyanins as an intervention tested in vitro, in vivo, and in clinical trials to mod-ulate metainflammation. Most recent research applies a wide variety of extracts and natu-ral sources of anthocyanins, in diverse experimental models, which represents a limitation of the research field. However, the literature is sufficiently consistent to establish that the in-depth molecular analysis of gut microbiota, insulin signaling, TLR4-triggered inflamma-tion, and oxidative stress pathways reveals their modulation by anthocyanins. These targets are interconnected at the cellular level and interact with one another, leading to obesity - associated metainflammation. Thus, the positive findings with anthocyanins observed in preclinical models might directly relate to the positive outcomes in clinical studies. In sum-mary and based on the entirety of the relevant literature, anthocyanins can mitigate obesity -related perturbations in gut microbiota, insulin resistance, oxidative stress and inflamma-tion and therefore may contribute as a therapeutic tool in people living with obesity. (c) 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The use of natural foods and bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols and anthocyanins, has been suggested as a strategy to mitigate the pathophysiological consequences of obesity. The presence of metainflammation, which leads to metabolic disorders, is a well-known characteristic of obesity. Anthocyanins have shown promise in modulating intracellular mechanisms and mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation associated with obesity.