• caloric restriction mimetics
• clinical trials
• healthy diet
• nutrition
• polyamines
• polyphenols
• spermidine

• P 31727 Austrian Science Fund FWF
• W 1226 Austrian Science Fund FWF

• body fat
• herbal extracts
• obesity
• overweight
• weight management

Garcinia cambogia extract (GC) with its active component consisting of hydroxycitric acid (HCA) is widely utilized for weight loss. Various HCA salts are available, including calcium, magnesium, potassium and mixtures of these. Experimentally, these salts exhibit different properties with some, but not all, improving glucose tolerance and blood pressure. Recently, obesity-prone C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD, 45 kcal% fat) with or without GC (1%, w/w) for 16 wk. The active arm reduced visceral fat, adipocyte size and serum glucose, yet purportedly also exhibited hepatic collagen accumulation, lipid peroxidation and increased mRNA levels of genes related to oxidative stress. The latter findings are at odds with a large body of animal and human studies that have been conducted on the safety and efficacy of HCA. This literature shows HCA to be protective against the liver toxicity associated with ethanol and dexamethasone administration, and to maintain serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase at near normal levels. In both animal and clinical literature, elevated intakes of HCA per se have not led to signs of inflammation or hepatotoxicity. The compound has been found to reduce markers of inflammation in brain, intestines, kidney and serum.

• Garcinia cambogia
• Hepatic collagen
• Hepatic inflammation
• Hepatic oxidative stress
• Hydroxycitric acid
• Metabolic syndrome
• Tumor necrosis factor-α
• Weight loss

• Adiposity/drug effects
• Animals
• Anti-Obesity Agents/toxicity
• Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/etiology
• Fatty Liver/chemically induced
• Garcinia cambogia
• Intra-Abdominal Fat/drug effects
• Liver/drug effects
• Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental/chemically induced
• Male
• Obesity/drug therapy
• Plant Extracts/toxicity

The effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Hs) calyx extract on fat absorption-excretion and body weight in rats, was investigated. Rats were fed with either a basal diet (SDC = Control diet) or the same diet supplemented with Hs extracts at 5%, 10% and 15% (SD₅, SD₁₀ and SD₁₅). Only SD₅ did not show significant increases in weight, food consumption and efficiency compared to SD_C. The opposite occurred in SD₁₅ group which showed a significant decrease for these three parameters. The SD₁₀ responses were similar to SD₁₅, with the exception of food consumption. In both SD_C and SD₅ groups, no body weight loss was observed; however, only in the latter group was there a significantly greater amount of fatty acids found in feces. A collateral effect emerging from the study is that components of Hs extract at the intermediate and greater concentrations used in this experiment could be considered possible antiobesity agents.

• Consumer Product Safety
• Food Labeling
• Food, Organic
• Japan
• Legislation, Food