Procyanidin effects on adipocyte-related pathologies

Procyanidins, a class of flavonoids, have clear and well-defined beneficial effects against several pathologies including cardiovascular heart disease. Now, studies in vivo are revealing the effects of procyanidins against obesity, where they prevent weight gain and adipose tissue mass increase, and against diabetes and insulin resistance, where they act as antihiperglycemic agents. Several mechanisms may be responsible for these effects. One of these, due to the key role of adipose tissue in the development of obesity and insulin resistance, is their effect on adipocytes. In this review we compile the studies that indicate a protective role for procyanidins in obesity and insulin resistance, focusing on their effects on the adipocyte, where procyanidins modify lipid synthesis, lipid degradation, glucose uptake, and adipose differentiation.