title: Phytochemical compounds in sport nutrition: Synephrine and hydroxycitric acid (HCA) as examples for evaluation of possible health risks.
abstract: Numerous food supplements contain phytochemical compounds as active ingredients. Although such supplements are often perceived by consumers as being risk-free, the safety of many of them is currently uncertain. The present review provides two examples for risk assessment for phytochemical ingredients that are used in certain supplements marketed for sportspeople-synephrine (extracted from fruits of Citrus aurantium) and hydroxycitric acid (HCA, isolated from fruits of Garcinia cambogia). Animal and human studies, as well as case reports, provide evidence for cardiovascular effects due to ingestion of high synephrine doses, especially in combination with caffeine and physical exertion. A dose of up to 6.7 mg synephrine/day, however, which is equivalent to the median dietary intake from conventional foods in Germany, is presumed to represent a safe intake from supplements. In subchronic animal studies, administration of high doses of certain HCA-containing preparations led to testicular toxicity (i.e., testicular atrophy and impaired spermatogenesis), yielding a no observed adverse effect level of 389 mg HCA/kg bw/day. In view of lack of adequate human data on the safety of HCA preparations, particularly with respect to the human male reproductive system, substantial uncertainties exist regarding the safety of supplements containing high amounts of HCA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Nadiya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bakhiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ziegenhagen
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Karen I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Hirsch-Ernst
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dusemund
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schultrich
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pevny
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lampen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002951:Citrates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002957:Citrus / Q000737:chemistry; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D064209:Phytochemicals / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D064133:Sports Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D013578:Synephrine / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D002951:Citrates; D064209:Phytochemicals; D010936:Plant Extracts; C007999:hydroxycitric acid; D013578:Synephrine
keywords: Hydroxycitric acid; Phytochemicals; Risk assessment; Sport supplements; Synephrine