Basis for resveratrol\u27s potential prevention and treatment of obesity osteoporosis

Higher levels of adiposity are associated with increased risk for development of numerous adverse health conditions including type-two diabetes, bone disorders and cancer. Phytochemicals and combinations of phytochemicals are potential supplements for humans to suppress differentiation of preadipocytes, stimulate lipolysis, and induce apoptosis of existing adipocytes, thereby providing a preventive and treatment for adiposity. Resveratrol decreases adipogenesis and viability in maturing preadipocytes which has been shown to be through down-regulating adipocyte specific transcription factors and enzymes and gene products that change mitochondrial function. Furthermore, resveratrol increases fat mobilization and synthesis in mature adipocytes. Potentially of special importance is that resveratrol combined with other natural products produces synergistic activities from the modulation of multiple biotargets throughout the life cycle of adipocytes. It was reported that mice treated with resveratrol alone reduced weight gain caused by a high fat diet. Because mesenchymal stem cells are precursors for both adipocytes and osteoblasts and the differentiation to adipocytes dominates over the differentiation to osteoblasts in bone marrow of aging humans, there is an increased propensity for osteoporosis and bone fracutres. Resveratrol, and other phytochemicals, act on several biotargets in adipocytes and osteoblasts leading to a decrease in adipocyte number and size and an increase in osteogenesis. In a post-menopausal animal model, aged ovariectomized rats, dietary supplementation using a combination of resveratrol with vitamin D, quercetin and genistein decreased weight gain and inhibited bone loss. Combining several phytochemicals, including especially resveratrol, is likely to lead to combinations that are efficacious for the prevention and treatment of obesity and osteoporosis through targeted decrease in adipogenesis, enhanced apoptosis and lipolysis in adipocytes and increased osteogenesis in osteoblasts. © 2013 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved