Capsule Garcinia

Latin name: Medicago sativa
Family: Leguminosae
Common name: Willayati ghas, Lasun ghas
English name: Lucerne, Guinea grass

Habitat: this tree grows plentifully in Konkan, Malabar and Canara district of Western India.

Macroscopic identification: An evergreen tree with thin branches, elliptical leaves, ovoid fruit violet in color.

Parts used: concrete oil, fruits, bark, young leaves, and seeds

Pharmacological action: Fruit is cholagogue, cooling, demulcent, emollient and anti scorbutic. Bark and leaves are astringent. Oil is emollient and soothing

Action and uses in Ayurveda: kaphvatshamak, rochan, hridya, twakroghara, jwaraghna.

Indications: obesity

Photochemical: The Garcinia fruit is a rich source of hydroxycitric acid (HCA), the active agent that aids in weight loss by inhibiting fat production and suppressing appetite. Garcinia contains citrine, an extract that is 50-60% HCA, which inhibits an enzyme that helps the body synthesize fat for storage in adipose tissue.

Properties and action:
Rasa: amla
Guna: laghu, ruksha
Virya: usna
Vipaka: amla
Karma: triptaghna

Preparations: oil from seeds, syrup of juice, decoction of bark, amsel (acid pulp of fruit, without seed).

Therapeutic classification index:

• Digestive system: it is a specific remedy for diarrhea and dysentery.
• Respiratory system: it is useful in phthisis pulmonalis and skin diseases

Garcinia- the anti-obesity drug:
The Garcinia fruit is a rich source of hydroxycitric acid (HCA), the active agent that aids in weight loss by inhibiting fat production and suppressing appetite.

Garcinia contains citrine, an extract that is 50-60% HCA, which inhibits an enzyme that helps the body synthesize fat for storage in adipose tissue. HCA promotes energy, inhibits lipogenesis, lowers the production of cholesterol and fatty acids, increases the production of glycogen in the liver, suppresses appetite, and increases the body's production of heat by activating the process of thermo genesis.

Normally, the body converts the carbohydrates from meals and snacks that cannot be used immediately for energy into glycogen. Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrates, deposited in muscles and the liver.

When the glycogen stores are reasonably full, additional carbohydrates are then converted into body fat. Hydroxycitric acid blocks up to 70% of the conversion of carbohydrates into fat, thus helping to prevent added fat storage on the body. Thus, carbohydrates are forced to be accommodated as more glycogen in the liver. This added glycogen load in the liver stimulates a longer lasting neuro-signal from the liver to the brain, of satisfaction, thus helping to suppress appetite longer.

Chemistry and biochemistry of (-)-hydroxycitric acid from Garcinia
J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Jan 2; 50(1): 10-22
Jena BS, Jayaprakasha GK, Singh RP, Sakariah KK.
Human Resource Development, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore 570 013, India.

(-)-Hydroxycitric acid [(-)-HCA] is the principal acid of fruit rinds of Garcinia cambogia, Garcinia indica, and Garcinia atroviridis. (-)-HCA was shown to be a potent inhibitor of ATP citrate lyase (EC 4.1.3.8), which catalyzes the extramitochondrial cleavage of citrate to oxaloacetate and acetyl-CoA: citrate + ATP + CoA --> acetyl-CoA + ADP + P(i) + oxaloacetate. The inhibition of this reaction limits the availability of acetyl-CoA units required for fatty acid synthesis and lipogenesis during a lipogenic diet, that is, a diet high in carbohydrates. Extensive animal studies indicated that (-)-HCA suppresses the fatty acid synthesis, lipogenesis, food intake, and induced weight loss. In vitro studies revealed the inhibitions of fatty acid synthesis and lipogenesis from various precursors. . HCA; and its biochemistry, which includes inhibition of the citrate cleavage enzyme, effects on fatty acid synthesis and lipogenesis, effects on ketogenesis, other biological effects, possible modes of action on the reduction of food intake, promotion of glycogenesis, gluconeogenesis, and lipid oxidation, (-)-HCA as weight-controlling agent.

Inhibition of citrate lyase may aid aerobic endurance.
McCarty MF.
Owing to a substantial increase in glucose uptake by working muscle, glucose homeostasis during sustained aerobic exercise requires a severalfold increase in hepatic glucose output. As exercise continues and liver glycogen declines, an increasing proportion of this elevated glucose output must be provided by gluconeogenesis. Increased gluconeogenic efficiency in trained individuals is a key adaptation promoting increased endurance, since failure of hepatic glucose output to keep pace with muscle uptake rapidly leads to hypoglycaemia and exhaustion. Pre-administration of (-)-hydroxycitrate, a potent inhibitor of citrate lyase found in fruits of the genus Garcinia, may aid endurance during post-absorptive aerobic exercise by promoting gluconeogenesis. Carnitine and bioactive chromium may potentiate this benefit. The utility of this technique may be greatest in exercise regimens designed to promote weight loss.

Dose: powder - 1-2 gms
Capsule Garcinia contains pure and concentrated Garcinia.
Dosage :one capsule twice a day, before meals.
Package size: 60 capsules.

References:

1. Dr.KM Nadkarni, The Indian Materia Medica, Vol.I, pg 566
2. Prof P.V Sharma, Dravya Guna Vigyana, Vol II, pg 337

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