Abstract
Garcinia is a spice which has been found effective for reducing body weight. There are many products containing garcinia extract as calcium type powder, with the active principle (-) hydroxycitric acid (HCA) presumably present as calcium salt. The calcium type powder is stable but not ideal for food products due to its insolublity in water. A soluble garcinia extract should thus be produced having the lactone form of HCA. This form does not inhibit ATP-cit-rate lyase in vitro, which is a key enzyme in lipid synthesis. A soluble garcinia extract containing much HCA in the lactone form would be of little use for reducing body weight.
Because the lactone form of HCA was found to be possibly active in vivo, the authors prepared soluble garcinia powder and liquid garcinia extract containing much lactone form of HCA, and assessment of usefulness was made by examining effects on weight change in rats and humans by comparison with calcium type garcinia powder.
Soluble garcinia powder was found more effective for weight reduction than the calcium type garcinia powder in rats when administered in feed. Soluble garcinia powder and liquid garcinia extract should be effective to reduce human body weight by acting to decrease fat accumulation.
