Dose response biology of resveratrol in obesity.

Obesity is a major health problem throughout the world, and it is increasing both in prevalence and severity. Pharmaceutical approaches developed for the treatment of obesity, despite short-term benefits, often are associated with rebound weight gain after the cessation of drug use and serious side effects deriving from the medication can occur. Resveratrol has been well recognized as an anti-obesity substance for its lipid-lowering function as well as calorie-restriction effect. This polyphenol induces hormetic dose responses in a wide range of biological models, affecting numerous endpoints of biomedical and therapeutic significance. From an hormetic standpoint, we will discuss the potential relevance of resveratrol in the management of obesity and related comorbid conditions, emphasizing its ability to control simultaneously various pathological mechanisms associated with obesity.