Garcinia is a small, sweet, exotic fruit native to South
India and Southeast Asia. Garcinia has garnered a lot of attention of late
as a popular natural weight loss aid. The reason is that the rind of this
pumpkin like fruit is rich in a substance called hydroxycitric acid / HCA.
This principal acid has been found to suppress the fatty acid synthesis,
lipogenesis, food intake, and promotes glycogenesis, gluconeogenesis and
induced weight loss. The plant contains tartaric, citric and phosphoric
acids. The latex of G. cambogia contains two polyisoprenylated benzophenone
derivatives, camboginol (I) and cambogin (II). Unlike chemical stimulants
commonly used in weight loss products, G. cambogia does not act on the central
nervous system. This means that it will not cause insomnia, nervousness,
changes in blood pressure or heart rate and its effectiveness will not diminish
with time. This database includes about 11 constituents present in Garcinia.
