Extraction, Crystallization, Preservation, Pelletizing and Quantification of Hydroxy Citric Acid from Garcinia cambogia

Abstract

Hydroxycitric acid (HCA), both free acid and lactone forms is present in the fruit rind, of Garcinia species and it is known to help to prevent obesity. HCA is isolated from dehydrated Garcinia cambogia fruit rind at 60°C, by the defined most efficient extraction method of refluxing for 5 hours in soxhelt apparatus using 99% ethanol at 60°C acid base titration with 0.5M KOH(eth) determined. The total acid content of the extracted solutions was 0.50 - 0.51 g per 1 g. most stabilized precipitate of the salt of HCA was formed with 0.05M ethanolic KOH and it was able to crystallized into a dry form drying in a rotary vacuum evaporator, below 40°C. The formed dry precipitate was further preserved by incorporating anti caking agent at the ratio of 1:3 (vacuum dried potassium salt of HCA: corn starch).The amount of HCA in the isolated precipitate and the extract was analyzed by HPLC and UV-Visible Spectroscopy and obtained graph was compared with standard potassium salt of HCA. The λ. max was obtained at 208 nm when the solution of isolated HCA was scanned between 200 - 400 nm. Content of HCA present in the plant extract has been found to be in the range of 42 - 44% by using HPLC with 0.01M hydrochloric acid as mobile phase with a flow rate of 0.5ml/min using UV detection at 208 nm. Retention time of HCA was observed at 4.535 min in selected mobile phase. Pellets were obtained by mixing aqua edible gum solution with the preserved powder of HCA salt in 1: 4 ratio and drying at 60°C for 12 hours after molding in to pellet shape.