Function and Malfunction of the Immune Cell-Adipocytes Axis and its Modulation by Natural Products and Probiotics

In obesity, the immune cell-adipocyte axis in the context of white adipose tissue (WAT) represents a source of several mediators, such as adipokines, cytokines and chemokines. Within WAT, both innate and adaptive immune cells contribute to a condition of low grade inflammation, which, in turn, accounts for obesity-associated complications. In this review, the effects of natural products and probiotics on WAT cells will be illustrated. Polyphenols are ubiquitously present in the vegetal kingdom and, when assumed with diet or as supplements, they exert anti-inflammatory effects also acting upon WAT cells. Vitamin A and vitamin D, thanks to their receptors dis- tributed on several cell types, are able to modulate WAT cell functions. Polyunsatu- rated fatty acids are also endowed with anti-obesogenic activities, acting upon the immune cell-adipocyte axis. Finally, probiotics are able to correct the altered obese microbiota, partici- pating to the interplay between immune cells and adipocytes.