A unique water soluble salt of (-) HCA for weight control formulations

Obesity – A Worldwide Problem
Obesity has been known to be a significant risk factor in the development of several potentially life threatening disorders including heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes and osteoarthritis. In recent times, as life styles have become increasingly sedentary, obesity has assumed alarming proportions. U. S. public health statistics indicate that obesity is associated with around 300,000 deaths every year. This figure is far higher than the death toll from AIDS.

Obesity Cures
A number of synthetic drugs are available for weight loss. However, most of these drugs act on the central nervous system, with all the attendant problems and side effects. In fact, a number of these drugs, which had been introduced with FDA approval, have now been withdrawn. Moreover, chronic use of these synthetic drugs may lead to a “rebound effect” i.e. a rapid increase in weight after weight has been lost.

Garcinia and Hydroxycitric Acid
In view of the problems associated with synthetic drugs, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), the primary acid in the Garcinia cambogia fruit gained importance as a potential natural solution. The fruits of Garcinia have been used as a tart food flavor by the people of the Malabar coast in India, for ages. Many clinical and laboratory trials have shown HCA to be effective in bringing about weight loss.

HCA – Mode of Action
HCA inhibits ATP-citrate lyase, a key enzyme responsible for promoting fat synthesis. As a result of this inhibition, energy is diverted to production of glycogen in liver and muscles, instead of fat synthesis. Since higher glycogen levels signal satiety to the brain, HCA also suppresses appetite. As a direct result of ATP-citrate lyase inhibition, malonyl-CoA is not produced. Malonyl-CoA blocks the shunting of fat to the mitochondria to be burnt. Therefore, it can be said that HCA both inhibits fat production and (indirectly) helps to burn fat.

Many HCA users also report a greater energy level. This may be because the body is now burning fat that it was not able to earlier.

HCA is Safe
The fact that Garcinia has been used as a culinary ingredient for so long, is in itself ample testimony to HCA’s safety. Acute toxicity studies show that the LD50 dose for HCA is 500 times higher than citric acid, i.e. it is 500 times safer than citric acid. Studies have shown that the “rebound effect” associated with most weight-loss formulations is absent in the case of HCA formulations.

Commercially Available HCA Formulations
The most popular HCA formulation available is the insoluble calcium salt of HCA. The product available in the market is a brownish powder of ~72% purity, containing 50-55% HCA. Since this form is absolutely insoluble, it has questionable bioavailability. There are some free HCA formulations available in the market. These are essentially a concentrated water extract of the Garcinia rind. VMSRF has developed a process for manufacturing a highly pure, pale yellow HCA concentrate which is far superior to the other liquid formulations available. Though this solves the problem of solubility, free HCA’s primary drawback is its extremely acidic pH (~2.0) which imparts a sour taste to the food product it is added to. Furthermore, free HCA gets converted to the inactive lactone form on heating.

Hydroxycitrisol – Soluble Salt of HCA
Considering the shortcomings of the above two products, VMSRF has developed a process for the manufacture of a highly soluble, off-white, free flowing, amorphous, tasteless and extremely pure (>98%) calcium salt of near-neutral pH with 75% HCA content. This product is now commercially available from Laila Nutraceutica Ltd. under the name, Hydroxycitrisol, and is the only neutral, safe & soluble form of HCA available. The only other soluble form of HCA is the potassium salt which has 36% potassium and is very basic (pH ~10).

Advantages of Hydroxycitrisol over Currently Available Formulations
Hydroxycitrisol is freely soluble and thus has better bioavailability. It is stable at high temperatures (100oC) and therefore is suitable for pasteurization of HCA supplemented foods and beverages. Hydroxycitrisol has neutral pH and long shelf-life unlike the liquid product and potassium salt. Due to its soluble nature, Hydroxycitrisol can be readily incorporated into beverages, chocolates and other food formulations.

Since Hydroxycitrisol contains soluble calcium, it could also be useful as daily calcium supplement in obese post-menopausal patients.