Hydroxycitric acid content in local exotic fruits as a potential dietary supplement for weight reduction

Abstract

The content of several exotic Malaysian fruits were investigated to identify the concentration of hydroxycitric acid (HCA) in them. Among the fruits studied were Garcinia atroviridis, Canarium sp. and Averrhoa belimbi L. HCA captured high interest for its potential function as an appetite suppressor. Using FTIR, it was investigated that Garcinia atroviridis had the nearest IR profile to obtain the HCA extract. On the other hand, Averrhoa belimbi showed the worst profile and could be concluded that it doesn’t contain any HCA.