| Popis: |
Lifestyle diseases, sometimes called longevity diseases, typify disorders whose incidence is principally linked to the daily living habits of people. The main factors contributing to lifestyle diseases include bad food habits, physical inactivity, and disturbed biological clock. Unhealthy lifestyle and faulty diet result in noncommunicable diseases and conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome (encompassing hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance), which are major causes of human morbidity and mortality worldwide. Recent investigations by scientists have been centered on understanding the molecular signaling pathways that regulate these diseases/disorders. By understanding the pathways and players in disease initiation and progression, many laboratories have found it prudent to adopt in vitro methods and techniques to explore potential molecules to generate robust proofs of concept against lifestyle diseases. There are several reports of screening and evaluation of phytochemicals and their associated herbals with known ethnopharmacological use in lifestyle diseases using in vitro models. In this chapter we will discuss the in vitro methods used to screen the naturally occurring phytochemicals for the management of lifestyle diseases with major emphasis on obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular complications, etc. We will then focus on the role of major natural products in attenuating these disorders with special focus on their potential mechanism. Thus this chapter will try to provide a comprehensive account of research conducted globally in this direction, which will bolster the confidence of scientists and patients alike in using the age-old medicaments and their purified phytochemicals in lifestyle disorders. |
