A Case of Toxic Hepatitis by Weight-Loss Herbal Supplement Containing Garcinia cambogia

We report a case of patient with acute toxic hepatitis induced by weight-loss herbal supplement. A patient took natural extract supplement containing Garcinia cambogia for only two days and visited Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong complaining of abdominal discomfort and jaundice. Serum ceruloplasmin level was decreased and hepatic copper levels on liver biopsy specimen were increased. Although, those were mimicking Wilson's disease, pathological findings and clinical manifestations were consistent with drug-induced acute hepatitis. Genetic test was negative for Wilson's disease. After one month of hospitalization, the patient improved and was discharged home in good condition. She was followed up for four months and her symptoms and signs of hepatitis continued to improve steadily with normal liver function tests. Our case emphasizes the importance of taking a caution when taking herbal supplements for the purpose of weight loss. This case also demonstrates the importance of suspicion of medication-related adverse events, even though the duration of taking the materials seems to be too short to affect the patients.

Avaliação da influência dos polimorfismos genéticos APOE e CETP na resposta ao tratamento com Garcinia cambogia / Evaluation of influence of APOE and CETP genetic polymorphisms on response to treatment with Garcinia cambogia

Objetivo - Avaliar se polimorfismos nos genes CETP (proteína transferidora de ésteres de colesterol) e APOE (apolipoproteína E) influenciam no peso e na resposta do perfil lipídico ao tratamento com G. cambogia. Métodos - Trinta e três pacientes com sobrepeso ou obesidade receberam diariamente uma dose de 2,4g de extrato padronizado de G. cambogia (52,4% de ácido-hidroxicítrico). Antes do início do tratamento e após oito semanas, dados antropométricos e perfil lipídico foram obtidos. Resultados - Após o período de tratamento, não foi possível perceber diferenças na resposta sobre o perfil lipídico entre portadores e não portadores do alelo APOE*2, ou do alelo APOE*4. Uma diferença modesta, porém não significante, foi encontrada na comparação entre portadores e não portadores do alelo B2 (gene CETP) para os níveis de colesterol HDL (p=0,086) e triglicerídeos (p= 0,098). Em relação ao peso, não foram detectadas diferenças na resposta ao tratamento entre os genótipos. Conclusão - Os resultados sugerem que a variante no gene CETP pode estar envolvida na modulação dos níveis de HDL-c após o tratamento com G. cambogia. Entretanto, uma investigação em uma amostra maior será necessária para confirmar esses resultados.

Objective - To investigate the influence of polymorphisms of the CETP (cholesterol ester transfer protein) and APOE (apolipoprotein E) genes on weight changes and lipid levels during the treatment with G. cambogia. Methods - Thirty three patients with overweight or obesity received a daily dose of 2.4 grams of a standardized extract of G. cambogia (52.4% hydroxycitric acid). Before the start of treatment and after eight weeks, lipid profile and anthropometric data were obtained. Results - After the treatment, there were no significant differences in the response of serum lipids between carriers and noncarriers of the allele APOE*2 and APOE*4. A slight difference, but not significant, was observed in the comparison between carriers and noncarriers of allele B2 (CETP gene) for HDL cholesterol levels (p=0,086) and triglycerides levels (p= 0,098). There were no significant differences in the weight after treatment according to genotypes. Conclusion - The results suggest that the variant in the CETP gene may be associated with levels of HDL-c after treatment with G. cambogia. However, an investigation in a larger sample is needed to confirm these results.

Anti-obesity effects of Rapha diet(R) preparation in mice fed a high-fat diet / 한국실험동물학회지

The anti-obesity activities of Rapha diet(R) preparation containing silkworm pupa peptide, Garcinia cambogia, white bean extract, mango extract, raspberry extract, cocoa extract, and green tea extract were investigated in mice with dietary obesity. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) containing 3% Rapha diet(R) preparation for 8 weeks, and blood and tissue parameters of obesity were analyzed. The HFD markedly enhanced body weight gain by increasing the weights of epididymal, perirenal, and mesenteric adipose tissues. The increased body weight gain induced by HFD was significantly reduced by feeding Rapha diet(R) preparation, in which decreases in the weight of abdominal adipose tissue and the size of abdominal adipocytes were confirmed by microscopic examination. Long-term feeding of HFD increased blood triglycerides and cholesterol levels, leading to hepatic lipid accumulation. However, Rapha diet(R) preparation not only reversed the blood lipid levels, but also attenuated hepatic steatosis. The results indicate that Rapha diet(R) preparation could improve HFD-induced obesity by reducing both lipid accumulation and the size of adipocytes.

Effect of Feeding with Different Source of Carbohydrate and HCA on Body Weight Gain and Lipid Metabolism in Rats

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding different carbohydrate sources and garcinia cambogia extract (HCA) on body weight and lipid metabolism. Fifty 10-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats weighting 635 +/- 6 g were randomly divided into 5 groups and fed different experimental diets for 4 weeks. The carbohydrate (CHO) sources of each group were cornstarch (control group, 100% of CHO), fructose (F group and FH group, 25% of CHO) and sucrose (S group and SH group, 25% of CHO). FH group and SH group were fed diets containing 1% (W/W) of HCA. Food intake, body weight gain, and calorie efficiency were not significantly different among the groups. Perirenal fat pad weight of FH group was significantly lower than F group, but epididymal fat pad weight was not different among the groups. Fasting glucose level were not significant among the groups. Plasma lipid profile of FH or SH group was slightly lower than F or S group, respectively. The degree of difference of plasma lipid level was greater between F and FH group than those of between S and SH group. In liver, total lipid, triglyceride and total cholesterol level were slightly higher in F group than S group, and tended to be lower in FH group than F group, but tended to be higher in SH group than S group. Liver citrate lyase activity were not significant among the groups. These results suggest that HCA is potential material for reduction of body weight and improvement of plasma lipid profiles. But, there was no difference between fructose intake with HCA and sucrose intake with HCA in reduction of body weight and lipid metabolism.

Effect of Feeding Garcinia Cambogia Extract (HCA) and/or L-Carnitine and Exercise on Body Weight in Rats

This study was performed to investigate the effect of feeding garcinia cambogia extract (HCA) and/or L-carnitine and exercise (swimming) on body weight in rats. Forty-eight male rats (Charles River CD (SD) IGS) of eight weeks old and weighing 323.5 +/- 2.4 g were raised for two months with high fat diet (40% fat as calorie) to induce obesity. After induction of obesity, rats weighing 552.8 +/- 5.8 g were blocked into eight groups according to body weight and raised for six weeks with diet containing HCA and/or L-carnitine. Plasma aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total protein and albumin levels were in normal ranges. Food and calorie intakes of H + C and H + C/E groups were highest among non-exercise (NE) groups and exercise (E) groups. Food and calorie intakes of NE groups were higher than those of E groups. E groups showed significantly lower body weight gain and calorie efficiency ratio than NE groups and H/E group was the lowest among all groups. Perirenal fat pad weights of E groups were lower than NE groups, and epididymal fat pad weights of H and H + C groups were lower than CO and C groups among NE groups regardless of exercise treatment. Brown adipose tissue weights of E groups were higher than NE groups and highest in H/E group among all groups. Liver citrate lyase activities of H and C groups were lower than CO and H + C groups regardless of exercise treatment. The differences between NE groups and E groups were not found to be significantly. Liver carnitine acyltranferase activity was not significantly different among all groups. Fecal total lipid, triglyceride and total cholesterol excretions were found to be higher in H and H + C groups compared to CO and C groups both in NE and E animals, those of lipid excretions of NE groups were higher than E groups. In conclusion, HCA was more effective in reduction of body weight and body fat than L-carnitine or HCA + L-carnitine. HCA ingestion with exercise was far more effective than without exercise treatment in reducing body weight and body fat.

Effect of Treadmill Exercise Training and Dietary Intake of Garcinia Cambogia Extract, Soypeptide and L-Carnitine Mixture on Body Weight Reduction in Rats Fed High-Fat Diet

This study was undertaken to examine effects of dietary intake of garcinia cambogia extract, soy peptide and L-carnitine mixture on body weight gain and obesity-related bio-markers in rats fed high-fat diet for 9 weeks with or without regular treadmill exercise. Forty 5-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups; sedentary control group (SC), exercised control group (EC), sedentary formula-fed group (SF), and exercised formula-fed group (EF). The SC and EC rats were fed high-fat control diet (fat comprises 40% of total caloris), and SF and EF rats were fed high-fat formula (composed of garcinia cambogia, soy peptide and L-carnitine) supplemented diet. Statistical analyses by two-way ANOVA indicated that the regular treadmill exercise significantly lowered cumulative body weight gain, total visceral fat mass, and epididymal, perirenal and retroperitoneal fat pad weights, and serum concentrations of total cholesterol and LDL + VLDL cholesterol, insulin, c-peptide and leptin. Feeding the formula also resulted in significant reductions in cumulative body weight gain and visceral fat pad weights, along with other related parameters including serum total and LDL + VLDL cholesterol levels, and hepatic enzyme activities involved in fatty acid synthesis. Statistical analyses by one-way ANOVA revealed that the formula consumption significantly improved body weight gain (18% reduction), total visceral fat weight (20% reductions), and serum total (43% reduction) and LDL + VLDL cholesterol (54% reduction) levels, as well as serum levels of insulin (49% reduction), and c-peptide (41% reduction) in sedentary rats, but failed to exhibit significant reductions in these indices in animals under treadmill exercise program. Taken together, these results suggest that the treadmill exercise per se exhibited significant improvements in body fat reduction and other related bio-markers, and so the formula consumption did not achieve a further significant reductions in these bio-markers in exercised rats. Nevertheless, animals fed the formula with regular exercise showed the most efficient weight reduction compared to other groups either fed formula without exercise or received regular exercise without dietary supplementation.

Influence of extract from fruit of Garcinia cambogia) on antioxydative enzymes of liver in chronic intoxicated rat by CCI4

The effect of extract of G. cambogia fruit in mature period, harvested at Chau Doc-An Giang on the chronic CCL4 intoxicated liver rat was studied. The rats were taken the extract of G. cambogia with the dose 85mg/10g weight body for 7 days. The result: SOD activity increased 11% comparing with control group and 41% with intoxicated group. The MAD content significantly reduced 36% comparing with intoxicated group

Prevention of HCl-ethanol induced gastric mucosal injury in rats by Garcinia cambogia extract and its possible mechanism of action.

Oral pretreatment of rats with G. cambogia fruit extract (1 g/kg body weight/day at interval of 7 and 15 days) protected gastric mucosa against HCl-ethanol induced damage by decreasing the volume and acidity of gastric juice. Increased lipid peroxidation, decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes, altered levels of protein and glycoproteins in the ulcerated mucosa, and gastric juice were maintained at near normal levels in G. cambogia pretreated rats. The results suggest the anti-ulcer activity of G. cambogia by virtue of its ability to decrease acidity and increase mucosal defense.