One of the most praised of tropical fruits, and certainly the most esteemed fruit in the family Guttiferae is the mangosteen: Garcinia mangostana L.
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It is believed that Queen Victoria of England was so delighted by the mangosteen's unique taste and exquisite flavor that she named it "Queen of Fruits."
Mangosteen is native to Southeast Asia and cultivated throughout the tropics: primarily in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, Honduras, Panama, and in the USA, in Hawaii.
The fruit, capped by the prominent calyx at the stem end and with 4 to 8 triangular, flat remnants of the stigma in a rosette at the apex, is round, dark-purple to red-purple and smooth externally; 1 1/3 to 3 in (3.4-7.5 cm) in diameter. The rind  is 1/4 to 3/8 in (6-10 mm) thick, red in cross-section, purplish-white on the inside. It contains bitter yellow latex and a purple, staining juice. There are 4 to 8 triangular segments of snow-white, juicy, soft flesh (actually the arils of the seeds). The fruit may be seedless or have 1 to 5 fully developed seeds, ovoid-oblong, somewhat flattened, 1 in (2.5 cm) long and 5/8 in (1.6 cm) wide, that cling to the flesh. The flesh is slightly acid and mild to distinctly acid in flavor and is acclaimed as exquisitely luscious and delicious.
Common Names:
- Cambodia: mongkhut
- Dutch: manggis, manggistan
- English: mangosteen
- French: mangostanier, mangoustanier, mangouste, mangostier
- Indonesia, Malaysia: manggis
- Laos: mangkhud
- Malaya: mesetor, semetah, sementah
- Philippines: manggustan, manggis
- Portuguese: mangostao, mangosta, mangusta
- Spanish: mangostán, mangostín
- Thailand: mangkhut
- Vietnam: cay mang cut
Folk Medicine: the dried fruit is shipped from Singapore to Calcutta and to China for medicinal use. The sliced and dried rind is powdered and administered to overcome dysentery. Made into an ointment, it is applied on eczema and other skin disorders. The rind decoction is taken to relieve diarrhea and cystitis, gonorrhea and gleet and is applied externally as an astringent lotion. A portion of the rind is steeped in water overnight and the infusion given as a remedy for chronic diarrhea in adults and children. Filipinos employ a decoction of the leaves and bark as a febrifuge and to treat thrush, diarrhea, dysentery and urinary disorders. In Malaya, an infusion of the leaves, combined with unripe banana and a little benzoin is applied to the wound of circumcision. A root decoction is taken to regulate menstruation. A bark extract called "amibiasine", has been marketed for the treatment of amoebic dysentery.
This tropical fruit is rich in xanthones (phytonutrients that are powerful antioxidants).
See the deep purple color.
Xanthones are a naturally occuring chemical substances, which also aid the immune system.
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