Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a tropical evergreen tree from the Clusiaceae family, native to Southeast Asia. Highly prized for its unique, sweet, and tangy fruit, mangosteen is often referred to as the "Queen of Fruits." The tree is known for its slow growth, dark green foliage, and requires a very specific climate to thrive.

Botanical Classification

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Class: Eudicots
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Clusiaceae
Genus: Garcinia
Species: G. mangostana

Plant Characteristics

Mangosteen trees can grow up to 6 to 25 meters in height. They have a symmetrical, pyramidal canopy made up of thick, leathery leaves that are dark green on the top and yellow-green underneath. The tree produces large, rose-pink flowers that are solitary or in pairs. The fruit, which is the most revered part, has a thick, purple rind encasing a delicate, juicy white interior segmented like an orange. Each segment may contain a seed.

Chemical Composition and Structure

Mangosteen contains a rich array of antioxidants, primarily xanthones and tannins. Xanthones are biologically active compounds known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-aging properties. The fruit is also a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and essential minerals.

How to Cultivate It

Cultivating Garcinia mangostana requires specific conditions:

1. Soil: Prefers rich, well-drained soil with a high organic content.
2. Light: Requires filtered sunlight or partial shade.
3. Water: Needs consistent moisture without waterlogging. Sensitive to both drought and excessive water.
4. Temperature: Thrives in consistently warm conditions without extremes of heat or cold. It cannot tolerate temperatures below 4°C (about 40°F).

Uses and Benefits

Mangosteen is consumed both as a fresh fruit and in processed forms such as juices, jams, and even in health supplements. The rind of the fruit has been used in traditional medicine across Southeast Asia to treat various ailments, including skin infections, wounds, and dysentery. Recent studies suggest potential health benefits including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Applications

• Culinary: The fresh fruit is celebrated for its delicate flavor profile and is also used in desserts and drinks.
• Medicinal: Traditional and contemporary medicine utilizes extracts from the fruit and rind for their health benefits.
• Cosmetic: Mangosteen extracts are included in various skincare products due to their antioxidant properties.

Environmental and Safety Considerations

Mangosteen cultivation is relatively sustainable as it does not generally require extensive use of pesticides or fertilizers. However, it is susceptible to pests and diseases which must be managed carefully to avoid using harmful chemicals. The plant is not invasive and typically does not disrupt local ecosystems. As with any fruit or supplement, consumers should consider potential allergies and individual health conditions before consumption.

References__________________________________________________________________________

Shan T, Ma Q, Guo K, Liu J, Li W, Wang F, Wu E. Xanthones from mangosteen extracts as natural chemopreventive agents: potential anticancer drugs. Curr Mol Med. 2011 Nov;11(8):666-77. doi: 10.2174/156652411797536679. 

Abstract. Despite decades of research, the treatment and management of malignant tumors still remain a formidable challenge for public health. New strategies for cancer treatment are being developed, and one of the most promising treatment strategies involves the application of chemopreventive agents. The search for novel and effective cancer chemopreventive agents has led to the identification of various naturally occurring compounds. Xanthones, from the pericarp, whole fruit, heartwood, and leaf of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana Linn., GML), are known to possess a wide spectrum of pharmacologic properties, including antioxidant, anti- tumor, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral activities. The potential chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activities of xanthones have been demonstrated in different stages of carcinogenesis (initiation, promotion, and progression) and are known to control cell division and growth, apoptosis, inflammation, and metastasis. Multiple lines of evidence from numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have confirmed that xanthones inhibit proliferation of a wide range of human tumor cell types by modulating various targets and signaling transduction pathways. Here we provide a concise and comprehensive review of preclinical data and assess the observed anticancer effects of xanthones, supporting its remarkable potential as an anticancer agent.

Barua A, Choudhury P, Mandal S, Panda CK, Saha P. Therapeutic potential of xanthones from Swertia chirata in breast cancer cells. Indian J Med Res. 2020 Sep;152(3):285-295. doi: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1153_18.

Abstract. Background & objectives: Medicinal plants like Swertia chirata are rich sources of different xanthones. This study was aimed to assess the cytotoxic potential of four most abundant xanthones present in S. chirata both in vivo and in vitro in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC), a mouse transplantable breast carcinoma cell line and two human breast carcinoma cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231).....Results: Among all the xanthones tested XD showed IC50at the lowest dose, and normal cells were unaffected at this dose. Survivability of mice increased significantly when treated with XD compared to other xanthones and cisplatin. Significantly increased ROS and LPO were found in cancer cells as a result of XD treatment which was unaltered in normal cell line. XD induced DNA damage and apoptosis in cancer cell lines. Interpretation & conclusions: Our experimental data indicate that XD may potentially act as a chemotherapeutic agent by enhancing ROS in breast cancer cells thereby leading to apoptosis.

Feng Z, Lu X, Gan L, Zhang Q, Lin L. Xanthones, A Promising Anti-Inflammatory Scaffold: Structure, Activity, and Drug Likeness Analysis. Molecules. 2020 Jan 30;25(3):598. doi: 10.3390/molecules25030598.

Abstract. Inflammation is the body's self-protective response to multiple stimulus, from external harmful substances to internal danger signals released after trauma or cell dysfunction. Many diseases are considered to be related to inflammation, such as cancer, metabolic disorders, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases. Current therapeutic approaches include mainly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucocorticoids, which are generally of limited effectiveness and severe side-effects. Thus, it is urgent to develop novel effective anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents. Xanthones, a unique scaffold with a 9H-Xanthen-9-one core structure, widely exist in natural sources. Till now, over 250 xanthones were isolated and identified in plants from the families Gentianaceae and Hypericaceae. Many xanthones have been disclosed with anti-inflammatory properties on different models, either in vitro or in vivo. Herein, we provide a comprehensive and up-to-date review of xanthones with anti-inflammatory properties, and analyzed their drug likeness, which might be potential therapeutic agents to fight against inflammation-related diseases.

Nauman MC, Johnson JJ. The purple mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana): Defining the anticancer potential of selected xanthones. Pharmacol Res. 2022 Jan;175:106032. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.106032. 

Panda SS, Chand M, Sakhuja R, Jain SC. Xanthones as potential antioxidants. Curr Med Chem. 2013;20(36):4481-507. doi: 10.2174/09298673113209990144. 

Klein-Júnior LC, Campos A, Niero R, Corrêa R, Vander Heyden Y, Filho VC. Xanthones and Cancer: from Natural Sources to Mechanisms of Action. Chem Biodivers. 2020 Feb;17(2):e1900499. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.201900499.