Plant Products and Their Inhibitory Activity Against Pancreatic Lipase

Imbalance in metabolism can lead to many health complications, and obesity is one of the alarming ones in the new world. Modern lifestyle has reduced physical activity and increased intake of various processed, unhealthy, fattening, and fast food. Many approaches have been followed to reduce lipid absorption through the gastrointestinal tract, including herbal plants and drugs. However, due to the side effects associated with drugs, more researches have been navigating towards the discovery of natural substances to substitute synthetic ones. Natural substances have been isolated and identified to inhibit pancreatic lipase, a key enzyme of lipid metabolism; however, only a few have been tested in clinical studies. The aim of this review is to provide relevant information on natural substances derived from plants and algae that have the potential to be anti-obesity agents, with attention to some medicinal plants from Jordan. As a consequence of the information presented in this mini review, several natural compounds have demonstrated to reduce lipid metabolism and absorption, which makes them potential anti-obesity agents. Graphical Abstract Pancreatic lipase inhibition reduces intestinal tricylglycerides absorption.