Highly regarded throughout Asia medicine for a variety of health ailments. The pericarp or rind contains potent medicinal value in a large class of compounds known as xanthones.
Recent studies reveal that these xanthones exhibit a variety of biological activities, with anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer effects. Anti-proliferative effects that inhibit cancer cell growth in various human cancer cells have been shown in four xanthones from the pericarp; α-mangostin, β-mangostin, γ-mangostin, and methoxy-β-mangostin by arresting the cancer cells’ ability to reproduce.
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The xanthone α-Mangostin was found to induce apoptosis or cancer cell self-destruction.
Reference: Akao, Y., Nakagawa, Y., & Nozawa, Y. (2008). Anti-Cancer Effects of Xanthones from Pericarps of Mangosteen. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 9(3), 355–370. doi: 10.3390/ijms9030355