Several innovative natural ingredients that support weight management have been discovered and developed by Sabinsa Corporation, a verticallyintegrated company. Based on their mechanisms of action, these ingredients may be divided into four groups:
- Group A: Citrin and GarCitrin
Citrin® contains only one of the bioactive ingredients of the Garcinia cambogia fruit, namely, Hydroxycitric acid (HCA). HCA is a derivative of citric acid, the agent that gives citrus fruits (oranges, lemons) their characteristic tart flavor. Citrin is standardized for a minimum of 50% HCA (1-3). Badmaev and Majeed (4) have conducted a clinical study on Citrin®. As far as inhibition of fatty acid synthesis is concerned, Hydroxycitric Acid has 100 times greater affinity for the enzyme citrate lyase, and, therefore, it acts as a potent inhibitor of citrate lyase.
Citrin® also affects appetite.
- Group B: ForsLean®
ForsLean® is an extract obtained from the dried roots of the plant Coleus forskohlii. Interestingly, Coleus forskohlii roots also have a history of food use in India (as pickle or condiment). Coleus forskohlii has been studied extensively. The most recent review is a book chapter titled “Coleus forskohlii Extract in the Management of Obesity” written by Dr. Majeed. The bioactive ingredient of ForsLean® is Forskolin, a Labdane di-terpenoid. In the
8-week, pilot open field study, 6 overweight women received 500 mg ForsLean (or 50 mg Forskolin) per day. As it can be seen, after 8 weeks, there was a considerable weight loss and fat loss, and increase in lean body mass.In this 12-week, double-blind and randomized study, 60 obese subjects received 500 mg ForsLean® (50 mg Forskolin) per day.
- Group C: LeanGard
LeanGard® is a proprietary blend of GarCitrin®, ForsLean® and BioPerine® with the suggested use level of 500 mg two times per day. LeanGard® caused 7.5% reduction in the body weight of the test group compared to 1.1% in the placebo group (50 over-weight subjects in each group comprising of 24 men and 26 women ranging in age from 25 to 55 years; – Study Duration: 12 weeks; – Dosage: 500 mg of the LeanGard® or Placebo, twice a day). LeanGard® caused 4.36% increase in the lean body mass of the test group compared to 0.67% in the placebo group. Furthermore, LeanGard® did not cause any significant changes in blood pressure or heart rate, hematological parameters, liver function, renal function, thyroid function, and plasma lipid levels.
– Group D: Fabenol
Fabenol® is an alpha-amylase inhibitory natural extract obtained from Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean, kidney bean) that blocks the digestion of dietary starch. An amylase inhibitor obstructs the digestion of starch and absorption of glucose. Therefore amylase inhibitors are valued in conditions such as diabetes (to reduce blood sugar levels) and in weight management. Since the alpha-amylase inhibitor protein binds with the active sites of alpha-amylase and prevents its starch degradation activity, it is also called “Starch Blocker”.
Innovative ingredients in support of weight management, NutraCos, nov - Dec 2012, Health ingredient, Muhammed Majeed, Reza Kamarei

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of (-)-Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) for body weight loss in overweight human subjects who received a (-)HCA formula consisting of 1500 mg of the calcium salt of HCA (750 mg of pure HCA) and 300 mcg of elemental chromium per day. (-)HCA derived from the rind of the Garcinia cambogia fruit competitively inhibits the cytosolic enzyme adenosine triphosphate (ATP) citrate lyase in vitro and in vivo. This mechanism occurs in experimental animals fed (-)HCA, and is likely responsible for their noticeably decreased feeding frequency, reduction in total body weight and body fat, and increase in energy expenditure.
RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This open field, physician controlled eight week clinical study was evaluated (-)HCA formula in 55 overweight subjects of both genders with a body mass index of >25 kg/m2 and <45 kg/m2.
RESULTS: Patients lost on average <5 lbs. after four and <10 lbs. after eight weeks of regimen on the (-)HCA formula (p<0.001). Weight loss was independent of the gender or age of the population studied. The blood levels of triglycerides (TG), VLDL in the entire population and LDL in men over 60 years of age were significantly (p<0.05) lowered during course of treatment (TG mean value before treatment 167 mg/dl vs. 155 mg/dl after eight weeks; VLDL 34 mg/dl before vs. 29 mg/dl after; LDL 124 mg/dl before vs. 116 mg/dl after), with the cholesterol levels unchanged.
Blood levels of HDL were significantly (p<0.01) increased for the entire population studied (mean value before treatment 47 4 mg/dl vs. 50.4 mg/dl after). The eight week intake of the formula lowered the Coronary Heart Disease (CHD calculated as total cholesterol/HDL ratio)) risk index significantly (p<0.01) for the entire sample studied. The risk index decreased from a mean value of 0.99 (CI: 0.87-1.13) to a mean of 0.90 (CI: 0.76-1.04). No side effects of the regimen, subjective or objective, were reported.
Open field, physician controlled clinical evaluation of a botanical weight loss formula based on Garcinia cambogia derived (-)hydroxycitric acid / Vladimir Badmaev / Muhamed Majeed

Nature has given many remedies to human beings. Specifically, Ayurveda, the ancient herbal system of India, has a large number of herbal therapies. The Charak Samhita, the most ancient encyclopedia of medicine contains thousands of herbs that are widely used in Ayurvedic medicine.
Now, many indigenous herbs of India are being imported to the United States and Europe. Garcinia cambogia is a fruit which contains hydroxycitric acid and is an excellent natural source for treating obesity.
In this booklet are various scientific data from clinical research on Garcinia cambogia and its active principle, (-)HCA, which you will find very interesting. As a trained physician in Ayurvedic medicine, I can recommend this informative booklet to anyone looking for a natural way to lose weight and feel younger.
The Citrin Book (72 pages) is the original book published on Citrin and garcinia, writtehn by Dr Muhammed Majeed, Ph.D.
A Revolutionary, Herbal Approach to Weight Management - Muhammed Majeed, Ph.D., Robert Rosen, Ph.D., Mark McCarty, Anthony Conte, M.D., Dilip Patil, Ph.D., Eryc Butrym

Background: Studies on the effects of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA) in humans are controversial. As differences in the HCA preparations may contribute to this apparent discrepancy, the aim of the current study is to compare different HCA-containing preparations in adult Wistar rats.
Design: The effects of 3 different HCA-containing preparations (Regulator, Citrin K, Super CitriMax HCA-600-SXS, all used at an effective HCA dose of 150 and 300 mg/kg, administered intragastrically) on food intake and body weight were studied in adult male Wistar rats. The efficacy was tested under 2 different experimental conditions: 1) after a single dose administration and 2) during repeated administration for 4 subsequent days.
Results: Regulator and Citrin K significantly reduced food intake in both experimental setups, while Super CitriMax HCA-600-SXS was less effective. When administered for 4 subsequent days Regulator and Citrin K diminished body weight gain.
Conclusion: Regulator and Citrin K were shown to be potent inhibitors of food intake in rats, whereas Super CitriMax HCA-600-SXS showed only small and more inconsistent effects. The striking differences in efficacy between these 3 preparations indicate that low doses of a relatively low-effective HCA preparation may have contributed to the lack of efficacy as found in several human studies.
Comparison of the effects of three different (-)-hydroxycitric acid preparations on food intake in rats / Nutrition & Metabolism / Nutrition & Metabolism 2005, 2:23 doi:10. 1186 / 1743 - 7075 - 2-23, Johanna Louter-van de Haar, Peter Y Wielinga, Anton JW Scheurink and Arie G Nieuwenhuizen

Weight loss effects have been demonstrated in vivo following oral, iv or ip administration of (-) hydroxycitrate to experimental animals. When (-) HCA was administered orally before feeding, the animals consumed less food and showed diminished hepatic synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol as compared to the untreated controls. The observed decrease in food intake may be just one of the factors responsible for the (-) HCA promoted weight loss. Other studies have observed rats fed (-) HCA showed weight loss with no decrease in cumulative food intake. The mechanism of weight loss with (-) HCA may include an energy expenditure component, the nature of which remains undetermined. This mechanism of energy expenditure, decreased lipogenesis, and the reduction in food intake in the (-) HCA receiving animals contributes to weight and total body fat content loss in experimental animals. The amplibio effect of garcinol and HCA was evaluated in SKH-1 mice. The set of experiments sought to evaluate the effects of garcinol and HCA alone and in combination on the development of colon crypts (a pre-indicator of colon cancer) and body fat accumulation in the test animals.
The numerous benefits of GarCitrin® make it optimal for safe, natural weight loss. The combination of HCA and garcinol reduces fatty acid and lipid synthesis and improves lean body mass in a highly efficient manner. Antioxidant activity and enhanced HCA bioavailability establish this formulation as a breakthrough in the nutritional management of body weight and composition.