Aim: to evaluate the pharmacotherapeutic efficacy of standardized extracts of Garcinia cambogia extract, Amorphophallus konjac (94.9% glucomannan) in the treatment of obesity.
Study design: randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial.
Subjects: 58 obese subjects aged between 25 and 60 years with BMI 30,0–39,9 kg/m2 were assigned to the placebo group (n = 26) or the treatment group (n = 32). Daily doses for 12 weeks: Garcinia cambogia (2,4 g) plus Amorphophallus konjac (1,5 g) extracts. Obese subjects not undergoing any dietary restriction were assigned to receive either placebo (n = 26; 21 female, 5 male) or the test treatment (n = 32; 25 female, 7 male). Before the start of treatment, and every 4 weeks thereafter, the following were recorded: height, weight, circumferences and body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), lipid profile and glucose levels.
Results: a significant reduction was observed in total cholesterol (−32,0 ± 35,1 mg/dL) and LDL-c levels (−28,7 ± 32,7 mg/dL) in the treated group, the final levels being significantly lower than those of the placebo group (p = 0,008 and p = 0,020, respectively). The treatment had no significanteffect on anthropometric parameters, REE, triglycerides or glucose levels.
Authors’ conclusion: the treatment had a significant hypocholesterolemic effect, without influencing the anthropometric or calorimetric parameters tested.