Research on tackling obesity using phyto-molecules

Ooty: Ooty's budding scientist in phytopharmacy, R. Loges, made it to Bulgaria for an International Conference on Natural Product Utilisation (ICNPU) organised at Albena in Bulgaria by the Bulgarian Phytochemical Society, to present his studies on obesity control using phyto-products.

R. Logesh, senior research fellow, ICMR, who is pursuing is Ph.D at the Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytopharmacy at JSS College of Pharmacy, was invited to present his research findings in ICNPU which began on May 29.

In his presentation at ICNPU, Logesh said that India is the country with the third most obese people as per WHO studies, and added that research in obesity control has gained momentum across the globe, especially in India. For obesity control measures, research on the role of lipids in humans, pharmacokinetic and dynamics of lipids, pathophysiology of lipids and key targets on lipid absorption and metabolism are necessary, he noted.

Stating that reducing the risk of obesity can also reduce the risk of diabetes, cardiac ailments and hypertension, he added that among all targets used for the treatment of obesity, altering metabolism of lipids by inhibiting dietary fat absorption using lipase is an interesting and comparatively safe approach towards the development of an anti-obesity drug. Lipases are enzymes present in the human body that play a vital role in the digestion and transportation of dietary lipids, he explained.

Saying that he is focusing on lipid-fighting compounds in medicinal plants available in India, especially in the Nilgiris, he added that searching for potential inhibitors of lipases from natural origin with lesser side effects is a current research area of interest.

Natural products are always an inspirational source for the development of new types of therapeutic agents. Once standardized these phyto-based anti-obesity drugs will be cheaper than conventional single-entity pharmaceuticals, he noted.