Kaitlyn Margraf Student Pharmacist Spring 2022
Garcinia Cambogia COMMON NAMES: Garcinia, Malabar Tamarind, Brindle Berry SCIENTIFIC NAME: Garcinia Gummi-Gutta HISTORY: native to India and Southeast Asia; used as condiment and preservative in Asian countries
Figure 1. Garcinia Cambogia plant. www.peninsuladailynews.com
PURPORTED USE: weight loss – rind contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA) which may affect appetite; also promoted for relief of join pain, digestive symptoms, improve athletic performance Available dosage forms: capsules and tablets Typical dosing/serving: 1500-3000mg daily. Divide into two or three doses PHARMACOLOGY: Suggested mechanism is to inhibit lipogenesis, increase lipid oxidation, and reduce food intake. HCA inhibits the first step of fatty acid synthesis by inhibiting ATPcitrate lyase. This blocks the conversion of citrate to acetyl-CoA. Other possible pathways are displayed in the graphic below.
Figure 2 (Above). Garcinia cambogia capsules. Source: How Safe is Garcinia cambogia and other weight loss supplements? Piedmont.org Figure 3 (Left). Possible pathways of action of Garcinia cambogia. Source: A Comprehensive Scientific Overview of Garcinia Cambogia, Semwal et. al. 67
