Mangosteen - History and Scientific
Classification
Mangosteen is a tropical fruit
tree species with
unequalled
value.
Named for the French explorer
Jacques Garcin (1673-1751),
the mangosteen is thought to have originated in Southeast Asia.
Its scientific name is ' Garcinia Mangostana '
and, today, the fruit tree is cultivated in the tropical regions
of both hemispheres with commercial plantations in Thailand, India,
Malaysia, the Philippines and Brazil.
Prized because of its excellent
flavour, in Asia, it is called 'the queen
of fruits'
and, in the
French Caribbean, 'the food of the Gods'.
Garcinia Mangostana belongs to the family " Guttiferae" which
includes over 800 species. Some of the relatives of the mangosteen
such as Hypericum Perforatum (St. John's Wort) and Garcinia Cambogia
have already become well known as medicinal plants. What is amazing
is that the Mangosteen (which, by the way, has no connection with
the mango) has never been utilised for its multiple health benefits
in North America or Europe despite its history and popularity as
a folk remedy in Asia and South America.
FOLK MEDICINE REMEDIES FROM THE MANGOSTEEN
For centuries the traditional
medical healers of India, China,
Malaysia, Thailand the Philippines and Vietnam have employed
Mangosteen for its health benefits. In the last 150 years the
plant has been transported to Africa, the Caribbean, Australia
and South America where both researchers and medical practitioners
alike have studied and utilised its protective properties.
In India, Thailand and China, preparations
from the rind are used as antimicrobial and antiparasitic treatments
for dysentery and other forms of infectious diarrhoea.
The plant's astringent qualities are useful in preventing dehydration
and the loss of essential nutrients from the GI tract of diarrhoea
sufferers.
The Chinese
and Thais also take advantage of the mangosteen's antimicrobial
and antiseptic properties to treat infected wounds, tuberculosis,
malaria, urinary tract infections, syphilis and gonorrhoea.
It has long been recognised in Asia
that the Mangosteen has apperently powerful anti-inflammatory powers
and is reported to be effective in treating eczematous and other
hyperkeratotic skin conditions.
In the Caribbean, known as " eau de Creole ",
a tea made from Mangosteen is used as a tonic for fatigue
and malaise, universal
symptoms experienced by millions around the world..
Brazilians use a similar tea as a
de-worming agent and digestive aid.
In Venezuela, parasitic skin infections are
treated with poultices of the fruit
while Filipinos employ a fruit extract to
control fever.
SCIENTIFIC
INVESTIGATIONS OF THE MANGOSTEEN
Unlike most medicinal plants, the phytoceuticals of the mangosteen
have been widely studied by medical and pharmacological researchers.
Among the phytoceuticals in the mangosteen is a newly
discovered class of highly active substances called 'Xanthones'
Garcinia Mangostana's Xanthones are still being investigated, and
to date, 43 xanthones have been identified and several of them intensely
studied.
The whole fruit of the mangosteen has been found to :
-
support microbiological balance
-
maintain immune system health
-
promote joint flexibility
-
provide positive mental support
