Obesity related lung complications and a possible phytochemical therapeutic solution.

Proteases, especially neutrophil elastase (NE), enzyme provide innate immunity in the lung tissues against elastin protein disintegration by microbial attacks. Normally, an antiprotease, called alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT), is responsible to keep NE activity in normal range. In most of the leptin-resistant obese subjects, A1AT deficiency develops which leads to a concurrent higher activity of NE. Obesity associated antiprotease-protease imbalance induces various lung complications, i.e. asthma, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders (COPD), cancer, etc. Past studies manifested that plant extracts/compounds reduce human NE activity. This knowledge will help in future to exploit phytochemicals as interventional therapeutic agents to decrease NE over-activity in susceptible obese individuals. Furthermore, the hypothesis discussed in this article will be helpful for researchers working in the fields of lung biology and obesity.