Xanthones

We live with daily oxidative damage to our body. As iron rusts so our body cells corrode from the free radicals of the oxidation process. Nature gave us a means of defence in the food that we eat – amongst others the nutrients of fruit or phytonutrients of plants. Why would you ignore Mother Nature?


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Major Antioxidant Power – in Xanthones

Antioxidants themselves are measured by their ORAC value: (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity). The ORAC analysis, developed by the National Institutes of Health in Baltimore provides a measure of the scavenging capacity of antioxidants against the peroxyl radical, which is one of the most common reactive oxygen species found in the body. Trolox, a water-soluble Vitamin E analog, is used as the calibration standard and the ORAC result is expressed as micromole Trolox equivalent (TE) per gram. The acceptable precision of the ORAC assay is 15% relative standard deviation. The USDA recommends an ORAC unit ingestion of between 5-6,000 units daily. The average human daily diet is considerably less.

  1. Xanthones are polyphenols – a strong type of antioxidant that commonly occurs in plants; they are highly valued for life enhancing properties.
  2. Polyphenols are phytonutrients – non nutritive plant chemicals that contain protective compounds.
  3. Xanthones are prized because there is growing evidence that their unique characteristics can help to:
    • support the immune system
    • combat free radicals, which contribute to the ageing process
    • maintain intestinal health
    • reduce inflammation
    • support cartilage and joint function
    • promote a healthy respiratory system

Judge for Yourself

A PRÉCIS OF EXTRACTS FROM DEBORAH TRUSCOTT: INDEPENDENT UK EXPERT REVIEW. OCT 2012

  1. The mangosteen fruit is being studied as a promising source of new medicines. Promoted in the U.S. to support a healthy immune system
  2. The American Cancer Society notes promising preliminary research – but the number of clinical study effects, whilst indicating value, are still lacking in sufficient quantity to warrant full support
  3. The unique quality of this fruit is its high concentration of xanthones. Xanthones are polyphenols – a strong type of antioxidant, that commonly occur in plant. Polyphenols are phytonutrients – non-nutritive plant chemicals that contain protective compounds.
  4. According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition publication “Polyphenols: antioxidants and beyond (2005)”: Polyphenols are 10 times stronger than vitamin-C and 100 times stronger than vitamin-E and carotenoids in terms of antioxidant properties.
  5. Of the 200+ xanthones identified, more than 40 of these xanthones are found in the pericarp of the mangosteen fruit.
  6. Some of these xanthones have only been found in mangosteen (alpha-mangostin, beta-mangostin, gamma-mangostin and methoxy-beta-mangostin).

The Science

Below you will find a number of interesting web sites (In vivo human study support data) supporting some of the findings in mangosteen research.

  1. Xanthones in Mangosteen Juice Are Absorbed and Partially Conjugated by Healthy Adults from nutrition.org
  2. Anti-Cancer Effects of Xanthones from Pericarps of Mangosteen from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. Bioavailability and Antioxidant Effects of a Xanthone-Rich Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) Product in Humans acs.org
  4. Effect of a Mangosteen Dietary Supplement on Human Immune Function: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial from Liebertpub.com  
  5. The multiple nutrition properties of some exotic fruits: Biological activity and active metabolites from Sciencedirect.com
  6. Complete Mangosteen Information from drugs.com  

Below find some other interesting scientific reports from the national center for biotechnology information USA (NCBI).

The research behind the brand (by Nutritionist Suzie Sawyer)


Polyphenols from the mangosteen (Garcinia Mangostana) for breast and prostate cancer.

This article specifically examines the potential power of the natural xanthones in the mangosteen fruit.

Distribution of Major Xanthones in the Pericarp, Aril, and Yellow Gum of Mangosteen (Garcinia Mangostana Linn.) Fruit and Their Contribution to Antioxidative Activity.

This article quantifies the antioxidant effects of the various parts of the mangosteen fruit. Clearly, some parts have a greater capacity to scavenge free radicals, but, most importantly, positive results are concluded.

In vitro and in vivo anti-cancer effects of Garcinia mangostana xanthones extract.

Whilst this article focuses on the potential cancer modulating effects of the mangosteen fruit, its potential to detoxify the body and ameliorate cytotoxic cells looks positive.

Alpha-mangostin induces changes in glutathione levels associated with glutathione peroxidase activity in rat brain synaptosomes.

This study is important because it cites alpha-mangostin as increasing glutathione levels which is the body’s main antioxidant enzyme, therefore it demonstrates its powerful antioxidant effects.

A new antioxidant xanthone from the pericarp of Garcinia mangostana Linn.

Another positive study to evaluate the antioxidant activity specifically of gamma-mangosteen

Stuctural Characterization, Biological Effects, and Synthetic Studies on Xanthones from Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), a Popular Botanical Dietary Supplement.

This provides a comprehensive review of the many positive potential health benefits of mangosteen, specifically the xanthones, which provokes a good all-round discussion.





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