Sami-Sabinsa Group

Sabinsa Corporation, a manufacturer and supplier of high quality herbal extracts, cosmeceuticals, minerals and specialty fine chemicals, has been issued U.S. patent # 7,063,861 for the company's GarCitrin^® ingredient. The patent entitled "Bioavailable Composition of Natural and Synthetic HCA" covers the use of hydroxycitric acid (HCA) in combination with garcinol, branded GarCitrin^® by Sabinsa Corporation, for body composition and weight management.

The potential of HCA as a weight management compound has been recognized for several decades. However, HCA is poorly absorbed into the cytosol of the target cell, which limits its ability to inhibit adenosine triphosphate-citrate-lyase, an enzyme that plays an important role in body fat formation. Sabinsa has extensive knowledge in developing bioavailable forms of HCA, and was previously granted U.S. patents #5,783,603 and #6,770,782 surrounding the invention and use of a unique structure of potassium salt of HCA. GarCitrin^® combines another distinct composition of HCA with garcinol, a polyisoprenylated benzophenone isolated from Garcinia cambogia and Garcinia indica fruits. Garcinol enhances the biological action of HCA and contributes antioxidant activity to the formulation. The combination of calcium salt HCA and garcinol reduces fatty acid and lipid synthesis and improves lean body mass much more effectively than HCA alone.

"GarCitrin^® s a safe and natural weight management compound that joins our extensive library of scientifically tested ingredients," stated Todd Norton, president, Sabinsa Corporation. "We continue to invest tremendous resources in securing our intellectual property worldwide, and we now hold 21 U.S. patents and seven international patents for several of our ingredients."

GarCitrin^® has been shown in clinical studies to promote a reduction in total body weight, body mass index, body fat and perceived appetite level, as well as increase lean body mass and body water content. In a double blind clinical study, 46 overweight female volunteers with BMI levels greater than 25 were administered either GarCitrin^®(500 mg of calcium salt HCA and 25 mg of garcinol) or 500 mg of calcium salt HCA for 12 weeks. Participants were asked to maintain their previous daily physical exercise routines and eating habits, and were evaluated every two weeks for total body weight, body composition by the bioelectric impedance method, selfassessed appetite and energy levels, pulse rate and blood pressure. The GarCitrin^® group reported statistically significant decreases in body weight and fat content, as well as statistically significant increases in lean body mass and total body water compared to baseline values and those of the HCA only group. Appetite levels were also significantly less in the GarCitrin^®group than the HCA only group. No subjective or objective adverse effects were reported during the course of the study.