Hydroxycitric acid complex metal salts, composition, and methods

1. A composition comprising a tri- or tetra-metal salt of hydroxycitric acid wherein the salt has at least three different metals selected from zinc, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and calcium.

2. The composition of claim 1 , comprising a tetra-metal salt of hydroxycitric acid wherein the salt has at least four different metals selected from zinc, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and calcium.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of hydroxycitric acid is 40 to 75 wt %.

4. The composition 1 of claim, further comprising a lactone of hydroxycitric acid.

5. A process for preparing a tri- or tetra-metal salt of hydroxycitric acid having at least three different metals comprising:

preparing liquid hydroxycitric acid,

reacting the liquid hydroxycitric acid with a mixture of bases comprising at least three of zinc, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and calcium bases, to form a solution, and

spray drying the solution to afford the tri-, tetra-, metal salt of hydroxycitric acid.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the temperature of spray drying is at about 150 to 2000 C.

7. The process of claim 5 , the step of preparing liquid hydroxycitric acid comprising:

extracting hydroxycitric acid from Garcinia rind with demineralized water at room temperature to form an extraction solution,

treating the extraction solution with a calcium base until a neutral pH is reached to form insoluble calcium hydroxycitrate,

filtering out the calcium hydroxycitrate and then mixing the calcium hydroxycitrate with water and 10% sulphurous acid to form insoluble calcium sulfite, and

filtering out the calcium sulfite to leave liquid hydroxycitric acid.

8. A tri- or tetra-metal salt of hydroxycitric acid wherein the salt has at least three different metals selected from zinc, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and calcium.

9. The tri- or tetra-metal salt of hydroxycitric acid of claim 8 wherein the salt has two molecules of hydroxycitric acid.