Therapeutic role of lipases and lipase inhibitors derived from natural resources for remedies against metabolic disorders and lifestyle diseases

Lipases are enzymes with excellent stability and widespread presence. Lipases have potential applicability in food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. They are capable of synthesis and hydrolysis of esters synthesized from long-chain fatty acids and glycerol. Therefore, lipases can play a crucial role in the digestion of fat in humans. Currently, applications of lipases have become broader and are evolving rapidly as prime candidates for designing therapeutic and diagnostic aids. Modulators of lipase enzyme including activators and inhibitors have been either derived from natural resources (plants/animals/microbes) or have been artificially synthesized. These are being actively studied from the perspective of pharmaceutical or medicinal applications, especially for treating lifestyle diseases such as obesity. Increasing understanding of these enzymes and modulators has an enormous impact on therapeutics in the present time and would be further amplified in the near future.