Potencial terapêutico dos alcaloides na redução de medidas corporais: uma revisão sistemática

Abstract

Obesity is a multifactorial clinical condition characterized by excessive accumulation of body fat and is associated with various chronic diseases. This study a imed togather scientific evidence on the use of alkaloids as a potential therapeutic approach for thetreatment of obesity through a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. The search was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science data bases up to February 2025, using descriptors related to obesity and different types of alkaloids. Initially, 300 studies were identified, of which 291 wereselected for title and abstract screening. From these, 56 studies me tthe inclusion criteria and were fully analyzed. The average impact factor of the journals was 4.269, with 78.3% of the studies published in journals with an impact factor equal to or greater than 3. Methodological quality was assessed using the Rob2 Cochrane tool and the Jadad Scale, resulting in an average score of 3.15, indicating moderate to high quality. The results showed that 66.1% of the studies reported significant reductions in body measurements, while 23.2% indicated a tendency to ward reduction. Half of the studies (50%) includedco-interventions suchas diet and physicalactivity. The total sample comprised 3,286 participants, with a mean age of 35.8 years and anaverage treatment duration of approximately 15.8 weeks. Caffeine, aloneor in combination, was the most studied alkaloid, showing predominantly positive results, especially when combined with ephedrine. Berberine demonstrated consistent efficacy acrossall studies in which it was evaluated. Other alkaloids, such as theobromine, piperine, synephrine, and capsaicin, also showed potential for body weight reduction. In contrast, colchicinedid not presentrelevant clinical effects. Weight reduction ranged from 1.65% to 14.4%, depending on the substance or combination used. It is concluded that certain alkaloids may contribute to weight loss, particularly when associated with other interventions. How ever, further studies are necessary to confirm the safety and efficacy of these substances in the treatment of obesity.