GARCINIA

                                             Garcinia cambogia Desr.

Common Name : Garcinia kola, Malabar tamarind, Garcinia gummi gutta
Family : Clusiaceae
Part used : Fruits 

Phytochemistry: Garcinia cambogia fruit have been reported to have around 20-30% of Hydroxy Citric Acid lactone or Hydroxycitrate or HCA which is related to citric acid and is sold in supplement form as an aid to weight loss. 

HCA is the active ingredient extracted from the rind of a little pumpkin-like fruit. Addition of pectin have also been reported from the fruits. 

Pharmacology

HCA inhibits lipogenesis, lowers the production of cholesterol and fatty acids, increases the production of glycogen in the liver, suppresses appetite, increases the body's production of heat by activating the process of thermogenesis. Potential dietary supplements for weight loss and appetite control. 

HCA is thought to be able to partially inhibit an enzyme required for the conversion of blood glucose into fat, which results in higher glycogen (stored carbohydrate) levels instead. High levels of glycogen in the blood can help to suppress the appetite and glycogen is readily used as an energy source.

HCA can inhibit an enzyme in cells, citrate lyase, which is needed for the conversion of carbohydrates into fat. In the cell, carbohydrates are broken down into citrate compounds, which are then converted (by citrate lyase) into another compound; acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl CoA) – the metabolic building block for fat synthesis. By blocking the conversion of citrate into acetyl-CoA, HCA can suppress fat synthesis. Acetyl CoA is further converted into malonyl CoA, a compound which may block the actions of carnitine acyltransferase in shuttling fatty acids into the mitochondria to be burned.

It is important to note, however, that the citrate lyase enzyme, is only significantly active under conditions of carbohydrate overconsumption. In others words, unless you’re eating a lot of carbohydrate-type foods (bagels, pasta, potatoes) and overloading your carbohydrate storage capacity (muscle and liver glycogen stores) there is no significant conversion of carbohydrates into fatty acids anyway (and HCA may not work for you). 

If, however, you’re chowing down on low-fat high-carb foods at every meal, then your glycogen stores will be over-flowing and your citrate lyase enzymes are going to be working over time converting those excess carbs to fat.

You’ve blocked the fat production, so you have to do something with those excess carbs. They can’t be stored as glycogen because those stores in liver and muscle are already full, so it is thought that the body disposes of them by increasing carbohydrate oxidation (burning them). As a result of these fully loaded glycogen stores, some researchers have suggested that a "side effect" of HCA supplementation may be a suppression of appetite – which would reduce food intake and promote weight loss.

Uses in Traditional medicine : A decoction of the fruit rind is given in rheumatism and bowel complaints. The organic acid known as HCA is the primary acid found in the fruit and rind of G. cambogia. 

The fruit rind and extracts of G. cambogia are used in many traditional recipes. In the Ayurvedic system of medicine, some flavours are said to activate digestion and are used as purgatives, in the treatment of worms and parasites, tumours and dysentery. 

Neither acute nor chronic toxicity is reported with regular consumption of Garcinia products as either food or tonics. These products have been used routinely in the coastal areas of South Asia for centuries and they continue to be consumed in large amounts.