Evaluation of the pharmacotherapeutic efficacy of Garcinia cambogia plus Amorphophallus konjac for the treatment of obesity

• Published in: Phytotherapy research Vol. 22; no. 9; pp. 1135 - 1140
• Main Authors: Vasques, Carlos A.R, Rossetto, Simone, Halmenschlager, Graziele, Linden, Rafael, Heckler, Eliane, Fernandez, Maria S. Poblador, Alonso, José L. Lancho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.09.2008; Wiley
• Subjects: absorption; Adult; Amorphophallus - chemistry; Amorphophallus konjac; Biological and medical sciences; biosynthesis; Blood Glucose - analysis; body composition; Body Mass Index; calorimetry; cholesteremic effect; cholesterol; Cholesterol - blood; dietary fat; dietary restriction; Double-Blind Method; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Energy Metabolism; fatty acids; Garcinia; Garcinia cambogia; Garcinia cambogia - chemistry; Garcinia gummi-guta; General pharmacology; glucomannan; glucose; Humans; hydroxycitrate; hypocholesterolemic effect; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; obesity; Obesity - drug therapy; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Placebos; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; resting energy expenditure; Treatment Outcome; triacylglycerols; Triglycerides - blood; Monocotyledones; Guttiferae; Lipids; Medicinal plant; Amorphophallus konjac; Efficiency; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Garcinia cambogia; Nutritional status; Glucomannan; Evaluation; Obesity; hypocholesterolemic effect; Pharmacognosy; Nutrition disorder; Cholesterol; hydroxycitrate; Treatment; Araceae; Plant origin; Spermatophyta; Tuber plant; Polysaccharide; Antilipemic agent
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.2323

Hydroxycitric acid (HCA), the main compound of Garcinia cambogia extract, is a competitive blocker of ATP-citrate-lyase, presenting a potential inhibition of fatty acid biosynthesis. Glucomannan fibers, abundant in Amorphophallus konjac, seem to reduce the absorption kinetics of dietary fat. Therefore, the aim of this double-blind randomized study was to evaluate the pharmacotherapeutic efficacy of standardized extracts of G. cambogia (52.4% HCA) plus A. konjac (94.9% glucomannan) in the treatment of obesity. Fifty-eight obese subjects (BMI 30.0-39.9 kg/m²) were assigned to the placebo group (n = 26) or the treatment group (n = 32); no dietary restrictions were applied. Over a 12-week period, subjects were given daily doses of either Garcinia (2.4 g) plus Konjac (1.5 g) or placebo prior to their main meals (3 times/day). Before the start of treatment, and every 4 weeks thereafter, the following were recorded: height, weight, circumferences and body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), lipid profile and glucose levels. The treatment had no significant effect on anthropometric parameters, REE, triglycerides or glucose levels. However, a significant reduction was observed in total cholesterol (-32.0 ± 35.1 mg/dL) and LDL-c levels (-28.7 ± 32.7 mg/dL) in the treated group, the final levels being significantly lower than those of the placebo group (p = 0.008 and p = 0.020, respectively). The results obtained suggest that the treatment had a significant hypocholesterolemic effect, without influencing the anthropometric or calorimetric parameters tested. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.