Mangosteen is a fruit found in tropical countries throughout Asia, for example Thailand, India, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines. It also grows reasonably well in areas such as Hawaii and tropical Northern Australia from Innisfail north to Cooktown.
The Mangosteen fruit consist of 3 major parts.
The Mangosteen Pericarp - which is the rind or peel and contains the highest level of xanthones.
The pulp - which is the fruit and is known for being one of the tastiest fruits in the world.
The seeds - Found within the white pulp.
Mangosteen fruit contains compounds that have antioxidant - anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Scientific research indicates activity against several cancer cell lines, including breast cancer, liver cancer and leukemia. In addition, Mangosteen also exhibits anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory properties. Traditionally, Mangosteen has been used for many years as a medicinal treatment for diarrhea, skin infection and wounds in throughout South Asia.
The latest in scientific research shows Mangosteen contains a class of naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds known as xanthones. Xanthones may provide beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and thrombosis. Mangosteen also shows vasorelaxant properties.
Mangosteen has demonstrated an inhibitory action against the bacterial organisms Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Staphylococcus aureus. Mangosteen is also proving to be highly effective in supporting and strengthening a weak immune system. There are several important compounds found in the Mangosteen that would appear to make this fruit an active and important nutritional supplement for the human body.
Mangosteen Xanthones are broken down even further into mangostin, mangostenol, mangostenone A, Mangostenone B, trapezifolixanthone, tovophyllin B, alpha- and beta-mangostins, garcinone B, mangostinone, mangostanol and the flavonoid epicatechin. A study of the antiproliferation, antioxidation and induction of apoptosis by Garcinia mangostana on SKBR3 human breast cancer cell line, showed SKBR3 cells were cultured in the presence of mangosteen extract at various concentrations. Mangosteen showed a dose dependent inhibition of cell proliferation. "We found that an antiproliferative effect of mangosteen was associated with apoptosis on breast cancer cell line by determinations of morphological changes and oligonucleosomal DNA fragments."
Mangosteen also was found to inhibit ROS production. These investigations suggest that Mangosteen has strong anti-proliferation, potent anti-oxidation and induction of apoptosis properties. Mangosteen has potential for cancer chemoprevention, which is dose dependent as well as exposure time dependent. The ethanol extract of Mangosteen showed potent inhibitory activity against HIV-1 protease. The activity-guided purification of the extract resulted in the isolation of two active known compounds. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were established by spectroscopic analysis as mangostin and gamma-mangostin.
Potential Benefits of Mangosteen
Anti-viral
Anti-bacterial
Free radical fighter
Cardio support
Immune system Enhancer
Powerful antioxidant
Skin rashes, infections and wounds
Diarrhea
Anti-inflammatory
Vasorelaxant
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