Exploring the potential of chewing gums containing plant extracts (clove, saffron, and clove-mint) as a natural solution for controlling obesity and associated health issues
Authors: Kamandloo Farzaneh , Takbirgou Hanieh , Gashtasbi Sara , Zaghari Nima , Ghamari Fatemeh , Fotouhi Leila , Salami Maryam 
Published: December 2023

Background:Obesity is a global health concern resulting from an excessive accumulation of fat in the body, affecting individuals of all ages, including children. Modern lifestyles and the consumption of high-calorie foods have resulted in an increase in obesity prevalence. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, blood pressure, and certain cancers are all serious health problems that obesity can lead to.Objectives: Medicinal properties in functional foods are gaining popularity in the food industry for controlling or inhibiting diseases. Given the growing concerns about obesity and its associated health risks, the need for natural compounds with controlling or inhibiting properties is paramount. This study aimed to explore natural plant extracts for their functional properties, particularly their ability to control obesity by inhibiting lipase enzyme. To transport these biological compounds, chewing gums containing extracts of cloves (at concentrations of 0.1%, 1%, and 3%), saffron, and mint were developed. Chewing gums containing extracts can become a popular natural remedy for a variety of health problems, including obesity. Using an effective delivery system, this solution is widely available to those looking for natural alternatives to address their health concerns.Methods: The research centered on exploring the properties of natural plant extracts, which included their potential to inhibit enzymes linked to obesity and related diseases, their antioxidant properties to counteract the harmful effects of body fat oxidation, and their antibacterial properties. In addition, the research involved a sensory evaluation of chewing gum that contained these extracts.Results: Clove extract had the highest amounts of total phenolic compounds. Also, clove extract exhibited the highest antioxidant properties and Helicobacter pylori inhibition (88.05% and 25.69% at ratio of 0.7% respectively), which is thought to be associated with its high content of eugenol and other phenolic compounds. Furthermore, the extracts were evaluated for other functional properties, including their ability to inhibit pancreatic lipase, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), and microbial activities against Streptococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. Among extracts, saffron extract showed the highest lipase inhibitory properties (40.07, and 36.06% at concentrations of 0.7% and 0.5% respectively). Also, clove and mint showed pancreatic lipase inhibition about 31.50% and 29.24 % at concentration of 0.7 and 0.5% respectively, revealing that all extracts can be a good candidate to be used as effective additives in preventing and controlling obesity. Also, clove, mint, and saffron extracts could inhibit blood pressure enzymes (25.54, 20.70, and 19.61 respectively), which can help maintain healthy blood pressure levels. Furthermore, release kinetics of extracts from chewing gums were obtained, and shown that after 20 min the release of extracts were 73.24, 64.34, and 63.2 for saffron, mint, and clove (1%) respectively.Conclusions: Extracts were found in our research to have a beneficial effect on controlling obesity. These compounds may be effective in preventing obesity, based on their observed inhibition of pancreatic lipase enzyme. However, further research is necessary to fully comprehend the efficacy of these substances for this purpose. The significant antioxidant properties of clove may have a promising impact on reducing free radicals, which can help prevent fat oxidation in the bodies of individuals with obesity. The inhibition of ACE enzyme by extracts could potentially have a positive impact on controlling blood pressure. The extracts showed potent antimicrobial properties that can potentially alleviate mouth and throat issues associated with Streptococcus bacteria. Moreover, extracts demonstrated efficacy in reducing the presence of H. pylori, which is the causative agent of stomach infections. Also, it was shown that chewing gum can be a convenient and easily accessible means of delivering natural compounds and may be a desirable option for individuals seeking natural alternatives for managing their health concerns.Keywords: Chewing gum, Plant extracts, Obesity, Blood pressure, H. pylori infections