Swertiamarin is a secoiridoid glycoside found in Enicostema axillare (Lam) A. Raynal, a medicinal plant used as a depurative in the Indian system of traditional medicine. Swertiamarin reported to exhibit a wide range of biological activities such as anti-atherosclerotic, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. These activities were mainly due to its effect on various signaling pathways associated with cardiac remodeling events such as inhibition of NF-kB expression, LDL oxidation, apoptosis, inflammatory and lipid peroxidation markers and stimulation of antioxidant enzymes. Recently was discovered, that swertiamarin targets potential metabolic regulators AMPK and PPAR-α, through which it regulates hepatic glycemic burden, fat accumulation, insulin resistance and ROS in hepatic steatosis which emphasizes clinical significance of swertiamarin in regulating metabolism and as a suitable candidate for treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Phillyrin, an active ingredient found in many medicinal plants and certain functional foods, elicits anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory properties in vivo. Phillyrin is one of the main chemical constituents of Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.), which has shown to be an important traditional Chinese medicine. Phillyrin, has being shown to possess various bioactivities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and antiviral activities. It has being reported that Phillyrin attenuates high glucose-induced lipid accumulation in human HepG2 hepatocytes through the activation of LKB1/AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent signalling.