Potentialities of nanomaterials for the management and treatment of metabolic syndrome: A new insight

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is a collection of abnormalities including insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, obesity, inflammation, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, etc. The metabolic syndrome results in a dramatic five-fold elevation in the risk of developing type-2 diabetes and a two-fold heightened risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. It is fast becoming a major global health challenge, cause of mortality and morbidity. Regardless of advances in understanding the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome, available therapies are still not effective. Nanotechnology is marked as an upcoming tool with a wide range of applications in biomedicine, especially for the management of metabolic syndrome and its associated disorders such as diabetes, obesity, etc. because the nanotechnology utilizes nanoscaled drugs and therapeutics that can reach specific target sites, which helps in improving drug delivery systems, early disease detection and diagnosis using nano-imaging techniques. Therefore, nanotechnology increases bioavailability, permeability, compatibility, the effectiveness of treatment and reduced adverse effects. In this review, we will describe the role of nanomaterial-based therapeutics in managing metabolic disorders such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance which all increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

Keywords

• Nanomaterials
• Metabolic syndrome (MS)
• Nanotechnology
• Phytochemicals