The Nutraceuticals and White Adipose Tissue in Browning Process

Obesity has become a prominent epidemic disease since its worldwide prevalence has shown a continuous rise over the past few decades. The primary aim of obesity treatment is to effectively reduce the intake of energy, while simultaneously increasing energy expenditure. Increasing thermogenesis is one of the methods to increase energy expenditure. Thermogenesis, which primarily occurs in brown adipose tissue, can also be produced by beige adipose tissue, through a process known as browning. The browning process has recently been attracting a great deal of attention as a potential anti-obesity agent. Many well-researched inducers of the browning process are readily available, including cold exposure, agonist β3-adrenergic, agonist peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ, fibroblast growth factor 21, irisin and several nutraceuticals (including resveratrol, curcumin, quercetin, fish oils, green tea, etc.). This mini review summarizes the current knowledge and the latest research of some nutraceuticals that are potentially involved in the browning process.