Abstract / Summary
Introduction: Obesity is a major global health problem, and safe, effective therapeutic options remain limited. Resveratrol and curcumin are polyphenolic compounds investigated in modern pharmacology in the context of TCM-associated medicinal plants, but their contemporary anti-obesity applications should be distinguished from their traditional medicinal indications. Although both compounds show mechanistic promise, their convergent actions and possible pharmacological interactions, together with the translational barriers imposed by limited bioavailability and heterogeneous clinical evidence, remain incompletely characterized. This review critically examines the mechanistic, preclinical and translational evidence for resveratrol and curcumin in obesity and related metabolic disorders. Methods: This is a narrative review. A structured literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for English-language publications from January 2001 to March 2025 using combinations of the key-words ''resveratrol'', ''curcumin'', ''obesity'', ''adipogenesis'', ''AMPK'', ''SIRT1'', ''Traditional Chinese Medicine'', and ''polyphenol''. After duplicate removal and eligibility assessment, 150 studies were included in this narrative review and synthesized qualitatively. Results: In vitro, resveratrol and curcumin suppressed adipogenesis, inhibited pro-inflammatory NF-κB signaling, and modulated the metabolic sensors SIRT1 and AMPK. In animal models, both compounds reduced body weight gain, improved lipid profiles and glucose metabolism, and decreased markers of oxidative stress; combined resveratrol (25 mg/kg) and curcumin (50 mg/kg) produced greater metabolic improvement than either compound alone in diabetic obese rats. Both compounds also promoted brown adipose tissue thermogenesis and mitochondrial biogenesis. Discussion: Hu Zhang (Reynoutria japonica, syn. Polygonum cuspidatum) and Jiang Huang (Curcuma longa) provide the TCM botanical context for resveratrol and curcumin, respectively; the individual compounds themselves should not be treated as equivalent to the classical TCM medicines. Their combination has produced greater-than-monotherapy effects in several preclinical studies, with formal quantitative synergy demonstrated for selected experimental endpoints but not established across most of the available evidence. Clinical translation remains constrained by poor oral bioavailability, heterogeneous trial designs and small sample sizes; adequately powered, standardized clinical trials are needed to establish optimal dosing, formulation and long-term safety.