Garcinia gummi-gutta is atropicalspecies ofGarcinia native toSouth Asia andSoutheast Asia.[2][3] Common names includeGarcinia cambogia (a former scientific name), as well asbrindle berry, andMalabar tamarind.[4] Thefruit looks like a smallpumpkin and is green to pale yellow in color.[5]
Although it has received considerable media attention purporting its effects onweight loss, there are reports ofliver toxicity associated with theHydroxycut commercial preparation containing the fruit extract, with clinical evidence indicating it has no significant effect on weight loss.[4][5][6]
Garcinia gummi-gutta is grown for its fruit inSoutheast Asia andSouth Asia.Garcinia gummi-gutta is one of several closely relatedGarcinia species from the plant familyClusiaceae.[2][3] With thin skin and deep vertical lobes, the fruit ofG. gummi-gutta and related species range from about the size of an orange to that of a grapefruit;G. gummi-gutta looks more like a small yellowish, greenish, or sometimes reddish pumpkin.[7] The color can vary considerably. When the rinds are dried and cured in preparation for storage and extraction, they are dark brown or black in color.[citation needed]
In late 2012, a United Statescelebrity doctor,Dr. Oz, promotedGarcinia cambogia extract as "an exciting breakthrough in natural weight loss".[12][13] Dr. Oz's endorsements ofdietary supplements have often led to a substantial increase in consumer purchases of the promoted products, despite having no or little scientific evidence of efficacy.[13]
While it has received considerable media attention purporting impact onweight loss, the evidence forGarcinia cambogia supports no clear effect,[4][5][14][15] while gastrointestinal adverse events were two-fold more common over theplacebo in a 2011meta-analysis, indicating the extract may be unsafe for human consumption.[5][6] Adverse events associated with use of such supplements ("side effects") — especially,liver toxicity, as well asgastrointestinal issues — led to one preparation being withdrawn from the market.[16]
When the fruit is sun dried for several days, it becomes black with a shrivelled body.
Garcinia gummi-gutta is used in cooking, including in the preparation of curries to add a sour flavor.[5] The fruit rind and extracts ofGarcinia species are used in many traditional recipes used in food preparation in Southeast Asian countries.[4][18] In the IndianAyurvedic medicine, "sour" flavors are said to activate digestion. The extract and rind ofG. gummi-gutta is acurry condiment in India.[18][19][20] It is an essential souring ingredient in the southern Thai variant ofkaeng som, a sour curry.[21][22] In southwest India, theCoorg people make a vinegar known askachampuli from the species' fruit.[23]
^abcd"Garcinia cambogia". National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. 1 December 202. Retrieved25 September 2021.
^"Fruit yellowish or reddish, size of an orange having six or eight deep longitudinal grooves in its fleshy pericarp. Pulp acid of a pleasant flavor. It is dried among the Singalese who use it in curries."Uphof, J.C. Th. (1968).
^Yamada T, Hida H, Yamada Y (2007). "Chemistry, physiological properties, and microbial production of hydroxycitric acid".Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol.75 (5):977–82.doi:10.1007/s00253-007-0962-4.PMID17476502.S2CID25194835.
^Sarip, Nur Aqilah; Aminudin, Nurul Iman; Danial, Wan Hazman (12 September 2021). "Green synthesis of metal nanoparticles using Garcinia extracts: a review".Environmental Chemistry Letters.20: 1.doi:10.1007/s10311-021-01319-3.S2CID237487258.
^Pramanik, Malay; Diwakar, Atul Kumar; Dash, Poli; Szabo, Sylvia; Pal, Indrajit (1 April 2021). "Conservation planning of cash crops species (Garcinia gummi-gutta) under current and future climate in the Western Ghats, India".Environment, Development and Sustainability.23 (4): 5345.Bibcode:2021EDSus..23.5345P.doi:10.1007/s10668-020-00819-6.S2CID220051712.
^Soni, MG (2004). "Safety assessment of (-)-hydroxycitric acid and Super CitriMax, a novel calcium/potassium salt".Food Chem Toxicol.42 (9):1513–29.doi:10.1016/j.fct.2004.04.014.PMID15234082.
^ab"The acid rinds of the ripe fruit are eaten."Drury, Heber (1873)."Garcinia gambogia (Desrous) N. 0. Clusiaceae".The Useful Plants of India, second edition. London: William H. Allen & Co. p. 220.
