Background and aims: This systematic review of animal studies aimed to identify anti-obesity medicinal herbs with prebiotic properties, and investigate their effects on gut microbiota and metabolic disorders.
Methods: To obtain the relevant publications, four electronic databases were systematically searched up to June 2019.
Results: Out of 1949 publications, 20 articles met the inclusion criteria in this study. Apart from body weight, some cases (n = 11) had reported the effects of medicinal herbs on metabolic parameters, including lipid profile (n = 7) and glycemic status (n = 4).
Conclusion: Although some medicinal herbs could be effective in modulating metabolic status and body weight, through making changes in the gut flora, further studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of such herbs in clinical trials.
Keywords: Gut flora; Medicinal herbs; Prebiotics; Systematic review.
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