GARCINIA CAMBOGIA: AN ANCIENT FRUIT RIND WITH RECENTLY DISCOVERED THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY

Priya Hargunani*, Sarita Sharma, Aruna Pai, Bhagyashree Patil, Dr. Ashish Jain

Shri DD Vispute College of Pharmacy & Research Center, New Panvel, Mumbai, Maharastra, India

ABSTRACT

The fruit rind of Garcinia gummi-gutta is known as Garcinia cambogia. Garcinia cambogia extract comes from a tropical fruit grown in India and Asia. It is used in digestive issues and other illness as home remedy. This is currently most widely used and popularly advertised as a weightloss supplement. Research has revealed it has presence of xanthones (carbogiol) and benzophenones (garcinol) also organic acids (HCA) and amino acids (gammaaminobutyric acid) in various parts of plants. These garcinia combogia constituents have various biological activities. The HCA has anti-obesity activity, also reduced food consumption and body fat gain by modulating the serotonin levels, high fat oxidation and lowering lipogenesis process. HCA is an inhibitor of ATP-citrate lyase, which is a main catalyst for the conversion of citrate to acetyl-coenzyme A, plays a key role in fatty acid, cholesterol and triglycerides synthesis. The crude extract or constituents from the plant has hypolipidaemic, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and hepatoprotective activities. One more recently discovered constituent from Garcinia indica and Garcinia combogia, is Garcinol a polyisoprenylated benzophenone derivative. However, emerging studies suggests that garcinol could be useful as an anti-cancer agent, and it is a pleiotropic agent capable of modulating key regulatory cell signaling pathways. Here we have summarized the importance of HCA, garcinol and other constituents with its observed pharmacological activities.

Keywords:

Garcinia cambogia, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), garcinol, anti-cancer, anti-obesity