Powdered Garcinia cambogia
DEFINITION
Powdered Garcinia cambogia is Garcinia cambogia reduced to a powder or very fine powder. It contains NLT 12% of the sum of (–)-hydroxycitric acid and (–)-hydroxycitric acid lactone, on the dried basis.
IDENTIFICATION
•  A. Powdered Garcinia cambogia meets the requirements under Specific Tests, Botanic Characteristics.
•  B. HPLC Identification Test: The Sample solution chromatogram exhibits a peak for hydroxycitric acid at a retention time corresponding to that of Standard solution A, as obtained in the test for Content of (–)-Hydroxycitric Acid and (–)-Hydroxycitric Acid Lactone. The Sample solution also exhibits a peak for hydroxycitric acid lactone. The hydroxycitric acid and the hydroxycitric acid lactone peaks are the main peaks in the Sample solution chromatogram.
COMPOSITION
•  Content of (–)-Hydroxycitric Acid and (–)-Hydroxycitric Acid Lactone
Solution A:  30% phosphoric acid in water
Mobile phase:  Dissolve 1.36 g of anhydrous potassium dihydrogen phosphate in 900 mL of water, adjust with Solution A to a pH of 2.5, complete with water to 1000 mL, mix, filter, and degas.
Solvent:  Solution A and water (1:9)
Standard solution A:  A solution of USP Calcium (–)-Hydroxycitrate RS equivalent to about 2.5 mg/mL of (–)-hydroxycitric acid in Solvent. Before injection, pass through a membrane filter of 0.45-µm or finer pore size.
Standard solution B:  5 mg/mL of USP Powdered Garcinia Hydroxycitrate Extract RS in Solvent. Before injection, pass through a membrane filter of 0.45-µm or finer pore size, discarding the first few mL of filtrate.
Sample solution:  Transfer about 5 g of Powdered Garcinia cambogia, accurately weighed, to a 250-mL round-bottom flask fitted with a reflux condenser. Add 50 mL of Solvent, reflux while stirring on a water bath for 30 min, set aside to settle, and decant the supernatant. Repeat the extraction using four 50-mL portions of water, combine all extracts, Cool, filter into a 250-mL volumetric flask, and complete with water to volume. Before injection, pass through a membrane filter of 0.45-µm or finer pore size, discarding the first few mL of filtrate.
Chromatographic system 
Mode:  LC
Detector:  UV 215 nm
Column:  4.6-mm × 25-cm; packing L1
Column temperature:  25 ± 1
Flow rate:  1.0 mL/min
Injection size:  20 µL
System suitability 
Samples:  Standard solution A, Standard solution B, and Sample solution
[Note—The relative retention times for the hydroxycitric acid lactone and hydroxycitric acid peaks are about 0.9 and 1.0, respectively. ]
Suitability requirements 
Chromatogram similarity:  The chromatogram from Standard solution B is similar to the reference chromatogram provided with the lot of USP Powdered Garcinia Hydroxycitrate Extract RS being used.
Resolution:  NLT 1.0 between the hydroxycitric acid lactone and hydroxycitric acid peaks, Sample solution
Tailing factor:  NMT 2.0 for the hydroxycitric acid peak, Standard solution A
Relative standard deviation:  NMT 2.0%, determined from the hydroxycitric acid peak for replicate injections, Standard solution A
Analysis 
Samples:  Standard solution A, Standard solution B, and Sample solution
[Note—Standard solution A, Standard solution B, and the Sample solution are stable for 6 h. ]
Calculate the percentages of (–)-hydroxycitric acid and (–)-hydroxycitric acid lactone in the portion of Powdered Garcinia cambogia taken:
Result = (rU/rS) × CS × (V/W) × F × 100
rU== peak area of the relevant analyte from the Sample solution
rS== peak area of hydroxycitric acid from Standard solution A
CS== concentration of (–)-hydroxycitric acid in Standard solution A (mg/mL)
V== final volume of the Sample solution (mL)
W== weight of Powdered Garcinia cambogia used to prepare the Sample solution (mg)
F== conversion factor for each analyte: 2.17 for (–)-hydroxycitric acid lactone, and 1.00 for (–)-hydroxycitric acid
Acceptance criteria:  NLT 12% on the dried basis
IMPURITIES
Inorganic Impurities 
•  Heavy Metals, Method III 231: NMT 20 ppm
Organic Impurities 
SPECIFIC TESTS
•  Botanic Characteristics: Dark brown powder; odor characteristic; taste sour, astringent and slightly bitter. Under a microscope, it shows parenchyma cells containing dark reddish-brown gummy exudates; parenchyma cells containing simple and compound starch granules; prisms of calcium oxalate; and fragments of spiral and annular vessels.
•  Limit of Citric Acid
Solvent:  Prepare as directed in the test for Content of (–)-Hydroxycitric Acid and (–)-Hydroxycitric Acid Lactone.
Standard solution:  0.5 mg/mL of USP Citric Acid RS in Solvent. Before injection, pass through a membrane filter of 0.45-µm or finer pore size, discarding the first few mL of filtrate.
Analysis 
Sample:  Standard solution
Calculate the percentage of citric acid in the portion of Powdered Garcinia cambogia taken:
Result = (rU/rS) × CS × (V/W) × 100
rU== peak area of citric acid from the Sample solution in the test for Content of (–)-Hydroxycitric Acid and (–)-Hydroxycitric Acid Lactone
rS== peak area of citric acid from the Standard solution
CS== concentration of USP Citric Acid RS in the Standard solution (mg/mL)
V== final volume of the Sample solution (mL)
W== weight of Powdered Garcinia cambogia used to prepare the Sample solution in the test for Content of (–)-Hydroxycitric Acid and(–)-Hydroxycitric Acid Lactone (mg)
Acceptance criteria:  NMT 2% of citric acid, calculated on the dried basis
•  Loss on Drying 731: Dry 2.0 g of Powdered Garcinia cambogia at 105 for 3 h: it loses NMT 12.0% of its weight.
•  Articles of Botanical Origin, Total Ash 561: Determined on 1.0 g of Powdered Garcinia cambogia: NMT 3.0%; and NMT 8.0% if sodium chloride was added as a preservative during collection of the fruits
•  Microbial Enumeration Tests 2021: The total aerobic bacterial count does not exceed 105 cfu/g, the total combined molds and yeasts count does not exceed 103 cfu/g, and the bile-tolerant Gram-negative bacteria do not exceed 103 cfu/g.
•  Microbiological Procedures for Absence of Specified Microorganisms 2022: Meets the requirements of the tests for absence of Salmonella species and Escherichia coli
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
•  Packaging and Storage: Preserve in well-closed containers, protected from light and moisture, and store at room temperature.
•  Labeling: The label states the Latin binomial and, following the official name, the part of the plant contained in the article.
•  USP Reference Standards 11
USP Calcium (–)-Hydroxycitrate RS
USP Citric Acid RS Click to View Structure
USP Powdered Garcinia Hydroxycitrate Extract RS
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2021 Radhakrishna S Tirumalai, Ph.D.
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