Effects and Modulatory Mechanisms of Dietary Flavonoids in Obesity

Dear Colleagues,

The epidemic of obesity and accompanying metabolic complications is growing rapidly worldwide. Obesity is associated with adipose tissue hypertrophy, which refers to the increase in cellular lipid content, and hyperplasia, which depends on differentiation from preadipocytes. Hyperplasia takes place through adipogenesis and involves a cascade of transcriptional factors and cell cycle proteins, leading to the development of mature adipocytes. This process can be divided into three main phases: growth arrest, clonal expansion, and terminal differentiation. The inhibition of adipogenesis occurs when any of these stages are interrupted, which may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy against obesity. Furthermore, the hypertrophy of existing adipocytes, through excessive fat accumulation, leads to chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and dysregulated adipokine secretion. These pathogenic abnormalities initiate metabolic and immune responses that promote the development of metabolic disorders. Dietary flavonoids have become the subject of increasing scientific interest due to their effects on adipogenesis. Flavonoids have been shown to regulate several pathways and affect several molecular targets during specific stages of adipocyte development. Moreover, flavonoids have been found to be a valuable dietary ingredient for mitigating adverse metabolic consequences of fat cell hypertrophy, thus reducing the risk of metabolic disorders.

The Special Issue will publish original research articles and reviews on the effects of dietary flavonoids on adipocyte hyperplasia and hypertrophy and the mechanisms of action and discuss their implications for human health.

Dr. Katarzyna Kowalska
Dr. Anna Olejnik
Guest Editors

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