CHEMISTRY OF NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC APPETITE SUPPRESSANTS: A SHORT PRESENTATION

The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined obesity as excessive and abnormal fat accumulation, which may reach levels that can affect health in several age groups. Medicinal plants have proven to be effective in the treatment for this pathology and, thus, have generated increase in their use and study of phytotherapeutic agents with curative purposes in the process of losing weight. Treatment for obesity with synthetic drugs is also a common practice in endocrinologists’ and physician nutrition specialists’ offices. In the literature, synthetic drugs that help the process of losing weight are fenproporex, amfepramone, mazindol, sibutramine and orlistat. The study reported by this chapter aimed at carrying out a literature review of the main drugs (natural and synthetic ones) used in treatments for obesity. The methodology was a systematic review that comprised papers on the main drugs used for treating obesity. Thirty papers were reviewed and showed that most drugs used for treating obesity are synthetic ones which derive from amphetamines that act directly on the central nervous system. Regarding natural appetite suppressants, they may help to treat obesity since they act on five different mechanisms: they decrease lipid absorption, decrease carbohydrate absorption, increase energy expenditure, decrease pre-adipocyte differentiation and proliferation, decrease lipogenesis and increase lipolysis. However, the study suggests that pharmaceutical care is fundamental to promote health since it can mitigate problems related to excessive use of appetite suppressants.