Mangosteen

The mangosteen is a small purple fruit, roughly the size and shape of a medium tomato, that grows throughout Southeast Asia. Slicing open a mangosteen reveals a deep red rind, called the pericarp, about half an inch think, which protects the white segmented flesh and the black seeds at the fruit’s heart. It is the pericarp, dried and powdered, that has been used in traditional medicine systems throughout Singapore, India and China.

The deep red color of the mangosteen’s pericarp indicates its rich content of polyphenolic antioxidants such as catechins and tannins. Unfortunately, these antioxidants are extremely astringent, and their high concentration makes the pericarp practically inedible. Although the pectin-rich pericarp has been made into an edible jelly in some countries, it must first be soaked in a 6 percent brine solution to reduce its astringency and increase its palatability. In addition to polyphenols, the pericarp contains xanthones, phenolic plant compounds that may have antitumor, antibacterial and fungicidal properties.

Nutritional Benefits of Mangosteen

Catechins

Mangosteen pericarp is extremely rich in catechins. Catechins are polyphenols, phytochemicals with significant antioxidant activity. Catechins are realted to tannins, the chemicals that cause your mouth to pucker when eating unripe fruit, and have found their calim to fame in green tea. They are also found in abundance in grapes, wine and chocolate. In addition their antioxidant ability, catechines are known for their potential to reduce body fat, and the National Cancer Institute reports that catechins may even help prevent cancer. An average mangosteen pericarp contains 50 to 60 milligrams of catechins, the same amount found in 100 grams of dark chocolate.

Xanthones: Promising Superheroes

Like catechins, xanthones are polyphenols. Mangosteen pericarp si rich in mangostin, a xanthone with antibacterial, fungicidal and antitumor properties. In 1995, researchers showed that mangostin can inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which is implicated in plaque formation in atherosclerosis.

Mangosteen and Your Health

Cancer Research

Research suggests that mangosteen may someday play a role in cancer treatment and prevention. In 2002, the journal Planta Medica published the results of a study in which researchers in Taipei studied the effects of six mangosteen-derived xanthones on human cancer cells. The researchers reported that a xanthone derivative called garcinone E killed lung, liver and gastric cancer cells. In 2004, Japanese researchers reported that mangostin derived from mangosteen pericarp induced apoptosis (cell death) in leukemia cells.

Antibacterial Properties

In 1996, Japanese researchers conducted an in vitro study on the antibacterial activity of xanthones and found that xanthones inhibited antibiotic-resistant strains of the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, the most common cause of staph infections.

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