A critical scientific review on Withania somnifera, Garcinia cambogia and Curcumin supplements: Food forensics perspective

Food forensics is an emerging branch that applies scientific knowledge for the verification and authentication of food supplements. The term “dietary supplement” refers to a diverse set of preparations that are deemed to be essential for the well-being of a human body. These supplements consist of various physiologically active substances that produce effects on the body. However, a major issue with these supplements is that they are neither considered as medicines, nor as a food product. Due to this, such food supplements are prone to adulteration and counterfeiting. In this review, three widely used supplements, namely Curcuma longa, Withania somnifera, and Garcinia cambogia supplements are considered. Chemistry, pharmacology, and benefits of three are being discussed along with the analytical techniques for their analysis. Chromatographic techniques are popular for the examination of dietary supplements. Several such analytical techniques are being used to detect and identify the physiologically active constituents as well as adulterants in dietary products. This review intends to demonstrate the overall issues regarding dietary supplements.