PubMed-compiled information sheet
This sheet was compiled from PubMed (NIH) abstracts using AI assistance. Every factual claim is cited to a real PubMed article (see the source list). It has not yet been human-reviewed — confirm with a healthcare provider before use.
Compiled from 29 PubMed articles · model: gemma4:31b
Summary
Hoodia gordonii is a succulent plant from the Kalahari Desert used as a dietary supplement for appetite suppression and weight loss [PMID:31644014, PMID:38256784].
Background
Hoodia gordonii (family Apocynaceae) is a spiny, succulent plant native to the Kalahari deserts of South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana [PMID:31644014, PMID:38256784, PMID:21259185].
Traditional uses
It was traditionally used by the Khoi-San of South Africa and Namibia as a hunger and thirst suppressant during long hunting trips [PMID:21259185, PMID:18804523].
Active compounds
The plant contains steroid glycosides, fatty acids, plant sterols, and alcohols [PMID:21315789, PMID:22410262]. The oxypregnane steroidal glycoside P57 (also referred to as P57AS3) is commonly accepted as the active ingredient responsible for appetite suppression [PMID:31644014, PMID:38256784, PMID:21259185]. Other identified compounds include the steroid glycoside H.g.-12 and various pregnane glycosides such as hoodigosides W-Z and hoodistanalosides A-B [PMID:20930049, PMID:19303614].
Mechanism of action
The steroid glycoside H.g.-12 activates the human bitter receptor TAS2R14, which induces the release of cholecystokinin (CCK) from enteroendocrine cells; CCK is known to suppress appetite via the vagus nerve [PMID:20930049].
Clinical evidence
Evidence BWeight loss/Appetite suppression
A 15-day RCT in healthy, overweight women found that purified Hoodia gordonii extract (HgPE) was less well tolerated than placebo, with significant changes in blood pressure, pulse, heart rate, bilirubin, and alkaline phosphatase, though no serious adverse events occurred [PMID:21993434].
Evidence CWeight loss/Appetite suppression
A review stated there is no clear evidence that herbal preparations, including Hoodia gordonii, cause sustained long-term weight loss in humans [PMID:30738773].
Safety & adverse effects
Hoodia gordonii is classified as having moderately severe adverse effects in an overview of systematic reviews [PMID:23472485]. Reported side effects include nausea, emesis, and disturbances of skin sensation [PMID:21993434], as well as increased blood pressure and elevated pulse rate [PMID:24307991]. It has not been implicated in causing clinically apparent liver injury or serum enzyme elevations [PMID:31644014]. In animal studies, high doses (50mg/kg/day) in mice caused reduced maternal feed intake, body weight gain, and delayed fetal development [PMID:22410260]. Genotoxicity testing in mice and in vitro assays showed no evidence of genotoxic activity [PMID:21315789].
Pregnancy & lactation
In a mouse prenatal developmental toxicity study, doses of 15 or 50mg/kg/day reduced fetal weights and ossification of some bones, though no treatment-related malformations were observed [PMID:22410260].
Drug interactions
In vitro studies using the Caco-2 cell model showed that P57 inhibited CYP3A4 activity (IC50 = 45 microM), while it did not inhibit CYP1A2, 2C9, or 2D6 [PMID:18612942].
Evidence summary
Evidence for the efficacy of Hoodia gordonii for weight loss is sparse and lacks clear evidence for long-term success in humans; safety data is mixed, with some reports of cardiovascular side effects and moderate severity in systematic reviews, though it appears non-genotoxic in animal models.
PubMed sources
- 1.PMID: 36479472 (2022) — Dietary supplements for obesity. · Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene
- 2.PMID: 23472485 (2013) — Adverse effects of herbal medicines: an overview of systematic reviews. · Clinical medicine (London, England)
- 3.PMID: 31644014 (2012) — Hoodia gordonii: to eat, or not to eat. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
- 4.PMID: 38256784 (2024) — Identification and Functional Characterization of Oxidosqualene Cyclases from Medicinal Plant Hoodia gordonii. · Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
- 5.PMID: 21259185 (2011) — Hoodia gordonii: an up-to-date review of a commercially important anti-obesity plant. · Planta medica