Toxicity of chemical compounds of anorexic action extracted from Garcinia cambogia (garcinia) and Panax ginseng (ginseng)

摘要

Introduction: difficulty in adopting healthy eating habits, a sedentary lifestyle and the wish to lose weight easily, lead to the search for methods that promote weight loss effortlessly using drugs containing hydroxycitric acid (HCA) extracted from Garcinia cambogia (garcinia) and ginsenosides extracted from Panax ginseng (ginseng). However, information on the potential toxicity of these chemical products is not widely available, though they are present in a weight-loss drug which is sold freely and used indiscriminately in Brazil. Objective: compile the results of the main toxicological studies on these two anorexic compounds. Methods: a broad bibliographic search was conducted in important indexed databases. Results and discussion: it was found that several studies on the topic have been performed, but further research is required using other test organisms and different doses. It was also found that the results so far obtained are contradictory, thus constituting a subject of debate among researchers. Conclusions: it is necessary to increase the number of studies evaluating the toxic effects of these compounds manufactured for the market, establishing limits for their use by the population.