Can someone tell me about mangosteens?

Question

especially health benefits

Answer 1

It is a tropical fruit; it is supposed to be rich in antioxidants an nutrients, but among 6 tested tropical fruits it came in with the lowest levels.  It also contains xanthones which in large quantities can cause breathing problems and it has been considered to be a delicacy since the height of the British Empire.

According to Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangosteen

"The mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a tropical evergreen tree, believed to have originated in the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas. The tree grows from 7 to 25 m (20-80 ft) tall. The rind (exocarp) of the edible fruit is deep reddish purple when ripe. Botanically an aril, the fragrant edible flesh can be described as sweet and tangy, citrusy with peach flavor and texture. Mangosteen is closely related to other edible tropical fruits such as button mangosteen and lemondrop mangosteen. Botanically, it bears no relation to the mango...

Mangosteen is typically advertised and marketed as part of an emerging category of novel functional foods sometimes called "superfruits" presumed to have a combination of 1) appealing subjective characteristics, such as taste, fragrance and visual qualities, 2) nutrient richness, 3) antioxidant strength and 4) potential impact for lowering risk against human diseases. Among six exotic fruits, however, mangosteen was ranked lowest overall for these qualities.

The aril is the flavorful part of the fruit but when analyzed specifically for its nutrient content the mangosteen aril only meets the first criterion above, as its overall nutrient profile is absent of important content, it contains no pigmentation (correspondingly, no antioxidant phytochemicals in significant concentration) and there is no scientific evidence of aril constituents having any health properties.

Purée or juice from arils combined with exocarp phenolic extracts produces juice having purple color and astringency like the exocarp pigments, including xanthones under study for potential anti-cancer effects on mouse mammary tissue in vitro. As xanthone research is at an early stage of basic research, no conclusions about possible health benefits for humans are warranted presently.

However, a possible adverse effect may occur from chronic consumption of mangosteen juice containing xanthones. A 2008 medical case report described a patient with severe acidosis possibly attributable to a year of daily use (to lose weight, dose not described) of mangosteen juice infused with xanthones, as occurs in the manufacture of many commercial mangosteen juices. The authors proposed that chronic exposure to alpha-mangostin, a xanthone, could be toxic to mitochondrial function, leading to impairment of cellular respiration and production of lactic acidosis....

There is a legend about Queen Victoria offering a reward to anyone who could deliver to her the fabled fruit...

Mangosteens are readily available canned and frozen in Western countries. Without fumigation or irradiation as fresh fruit, mangosteens have historically been illegal for importation in commercial volumes into the United States due to fears that they harbor the Asian fruit fly which would endanger U.S. crops. This situation, however, officially changed on July 23, 2007 when irradiated imports from Thailand were allowed upon USDA approval of irradiation, packing and shipping techniques...

From 2006 to present, private small volume orders from fruits grown on Puerto Rico are being filled for American gourmet restaurants who serve the aril pieces as a delicacy dessert. Beginning in 2007 for the first time, fresh mangosteens are also being sold for as high as $45 per pound from specialty produce stores in New York City."

According to:  http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/n...

Nutrients with greater than 5% DRI found in mangosteen aril

Nutrient  Content (per 100 g)

Carbohydrates:  14-18 g*

Dietary fiber:  1-5 g*

Vitamin C:  1-7 mg*

Folic acid:  31 μg^

Manganese:  0.2 mg^

* range of values from 3 independent sources: 1) Nutritiondata.com, ref. 11; 2) Mangosteen.com, ref. 7; 3) Purdue Univ. , ref. 8

^ from Nutritiondata.com (note the mangosteen nutrient data in 11 are for 1 cup, needing conversion to 100 g for the above table).

In recent years, mangosteen has attracted special attention for its xanthone extracts - garcinol and mangostin - having potential as anti-inflammatory agents with preliminary evidence for inhibiting cyclo-oxygenase (COX) enzymes and carcinogens (5,6). From other preliminary research, garcinol may also be an appetite suppressant possibly useful in weight control.

Revealed by PubMed searches, newly discovered xanthones include mangosharin, mangostingone, 8-hydroxycudraxanthone, mangoxanthone and benzphenones whose properties are only at the beginning of scientific description for biological effects.

Other phytochemicals isolated from the inedible pericarp of mangosteen include the benzophenones, aristophenones, depsidones, and garcimangosone D; polysaccharides; flavonoids (methylnaringenin); and terpenoids.

Although research on these phytochemicals is now being published, all evidence to date is preliminary before the more advanced studies needed to confirm biological properties. Such definitive studies are years away, as human research has not yet begun on a scale sufficient to determine potential health benefits of mangosteen pericarp xanthones.

Among preliminary research are the following health topics mostly being studied with in vitro methods on xanthone extracts from the mangosteen pericarp. None has been advanced yet even to laboratory animal studies: anticancer, apoptotic (induction of tumor cell death), antiproliferative (inhibits cell division and migration), antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, antiatherogenic, antimicrobial, antiulcer, antimalarial, immune stimulation, antiviral, antifungal, antivenom, antihistamine, antiserotonin, appetite suppression, antiadipogenic, antiparasitic.

Although the above demonstrates active basic research interest, no acceptable conclusions could be made yet about the health benefits of mangosteen xanthones for humans. Previous critiques on the potential health value of  mangosteen juice have cautioned the public to not assume health benefits without evidence from rigorous research including human clinical trials (7,10)."

Answer 2

Mangosteen is native to South East Asia and requires a year round, warm, very humid, equatorial climate.

The ripe mangosteen is dark red and tastes best if harvested before turning purple or blue-black. It does not ripen post-harvest. Unlike many other tropical fruit, which have a somewhat musky flavour (a liking for which is acquired), the mangosteen appeals to almost all, without a "learning" period. The mangosteen would be a popular choice as the finest of all fruit. The fruit is the size of a mandarin. The outer skin is up to 8mm thick and rich in tannic acid, which makes the fruit insect resistant. To open the fruit, cut through the skin only, and lightly pull and twist the fruit apart. Experienced mangosteen eaters use their thumb to pry out the dried flower parts (sessile stigma) and then break the fruit open.

About a third of the fruit is edible and this part consists of 4 to 8 white to pinkish juicy segments. The precise number is indicated by the remnant flower parts on the front of the shell. A greater number of segments reduces the chance of seeds. Seeds can be boiled or roasted and eaten. The fruit's taste is delicate, sweet-acid, and the pulp seems to melt in the mouth.

The fruit will keep for a few days without refrigeration. Storage at 10ºC is ideal and extends shelf life to about 20 days. Refrigeration causes cold damage. To minimise this, wrap fruit in newspaper and store it in the upper part of a refrigerator, but away from cooling coils.

The mangosteen fruit lend a hand with delaying the aging process thanks to the presence of antioxidants. It looks after our skin keeping it clean, winkle-free, and glowing with health. A whole mangosteen fruit has numerous vitamins such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C, vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, calcium, iron, and fiber to name just a few