Intermittent topical menthol treatment reduces white adipose tissue and leads to overweight loss in obese rats

Obesity, recognized as a metabolic disease and a global epidemic, calls for novel pharmacological interventions. Menthol, an organic compound, has shown promise in increasing energy expenditure and has been proposed as a potential anti-obesity drug. While preclinical studies have demonstrated menthol's preventive effect on body mass gain, none have investigated its efficacy in treating obesity. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of menthol in obesity treatment. Obesity was induced in rats through a hypercaloric diet. Obese rats were subjected to intermittent topical treatment with 5% menthol, resulting in sustained hyperthermia indicative of increased thermogenesis and energy expenditure. Additionally, menthol led to a reduction in the area of white adipocytes as a result of weight loss in obese rats. Our findings suggest that menthol has the potential to enhance metabolism and may serve as a viable treatment option for obesity. These results highlight the physiological significance of menthol in modulating metabolic processes and its potential role in combating obesity-related metabolic disorders.