Chromatographic fingerprinting and estimation of organic acids in selected Garcinia species

Garcinia is more valued as medicinal crop because of the presence of Hydroxy citric acid (HCA). Studies on the presence of other acids like malic acid, citric acid, oxalic acid and tartaric acid will improve the importance of the crop. HPLC chromatographic studies indicated that the Garcinia species showed a great variation in the number of peaks and their relative area. Among the Western Ghats species (G. gummi-gutta, G. tinctoria,G. indica and G. Subelliptica) along with the Malayan species G. mangostana, the peak Corresponding to HCA (Peak No.4) had the largest area while in case of the species from NE Himalayas, the Peak3 Corresponding to malic acid was the largest. In case of G. tinctoria, the largest peak was for citric acid with small peak for HCA. In all the species, the peaks Corresponding to tartaric acid, oxalic acid and ascorbic acid were small. Total acids obtained were highest in G. kidya/Cowa 28% followed by G. gummi-gutta and G. pedunculata (15.8%) while it is less in G. mangostana (4.5%)