mangostan

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• king's-fruit
• Gamboge
• purple mangosteen

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Mangostana garcinia

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Garcinia mangostana, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Malpighiales and the family Clusiaceae. It is further categorized under the genus Garcinia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, Garcinia mangostana, exhibits a specific geographical distribution across parts of Asia. In China, it is found within the South-Central, Southeast, and Hainan regions. Its range extends into the Indian Subcontinent, where it grows in Assam. Additionally, the species is documented to be present in Bangladesh. Together, these locations define the primary natural habitats for this medicinal plant.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Garcinia mangostana is characterized by its preference for specific altitudinal gradients within tropical environments. This species typically thrives in a broad elevational range that begins at sea level (0 m AMSL) and extends up to a maximum of 1000 m AMSL. On average, the plant is most commonly found at a mean elevation of 600 m AMSL, suggesting an ecological niche that favors mid-to-low altitude tropical habitats where humidity and temperature profiles are optimal for its growth and development.

Elevational range max:

1000 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

600 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Garcinia mangostana is characterized by its nature as a perennial plant, meaning it maintains its biological functions and structures over many years, establishing a long-lived presence in its natural habitat. Throughout its extended lifespan, the plant exhibits an evergreen deciduousness, ensuring that it retains its lush, dark green foliage consistently across all seasons rather than shedding leaves in response to seasonal changes. This combination of a perennial lifecycle and evergreen habit allows the plant to engage in continuous metabolic processes and maintain a stable photosynthetic capacity, which is essential for its slow growth rate and the eventual production of its characteristic fruit.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Garcinia mangostana is characterized by a woody growth form, specifically manifesting as a large, self-supporting tree. It is a terrestrial species that grows independently, functioning as neither a parasite nor an epiphyte. The plant exhibits significant vertical development, with a mean height of approximately 12 m, though it is capable of reaching a maximum height of up to 24 m. Unlike climbers, vines, or lianas, this species is entirely self-supporting in its structural habit.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

24 m

Plant height mean:

12 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Garcinia mangostana is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a mechanism where carbon dioxide is fixed directly through the Calvin cycle without the specialized adaptations found in C4 or CAM plants. As a C3 plant, it relies on the enzyme RuBisCO to initiate carbon fixation, which typically necessitates efficient water management to balance gas exchange and transpiration. Furthermore, the plant is not a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms; instead, it relies on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil through its root system to meet its metabolic nitrogen requirements.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Garcinia mangostana is characterized by a physiological capacity for self-fertilization, which is documented as being present within the species. The reproductive success of the plant is closely tied to its seed characteristics, which exhibit a notable range in physical dimensions. Specifically, the seed mass varies significantly, with a minimum recorded mass of 0.748 g and a maximum mass reaching up to 2.5641 g. On average, the seeds produced by this species possess a mean mass of approximately 1.365366667 g, reflecting the inherent variability in its developmental reproductive output.

Seed mass max:

2.5641 g

Seed mass mean:

1.365366667 g

Seed mass min:

0.748 g

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Garcinia mangostana has 5 reported plant parts identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit, flower, leaf, seed, stem.

Fruit

1. Journal of natural products
2. Journal of medicinally active plants
3. Phytochemistry
4. Molecular pharmacology
5. Fitoterapia

Flower

1. Acta tropica

Leaf

1. Biomolecules

Seed

1. Biomolecules

Stem

1. Biomolecules

Chemicals

Garcinia mangostana has 77 reported phytochemicals identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include alpha-Mangostin, gamma-Mangostin, Gartanin, 8-DEOXYGARTANIN, Garcinone E.

alpha-Mangostin

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
2. Fitoterapia
3. Journal of natural products
4. Journal of advanced pharmaceutical technology & research
5. Wei sheng yan jiu = Journal of hygiene research

gamma-Mangostin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecular pharmacology
3. Planta medica
4. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
5. Nihon yakurigaku zasshi. Folia pharmacologica Japonica

Gartanin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
3. Journal of natural products
4. Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences
5. Journal of food biochemistry

8-DEOXYGARTANIN

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
3. Journal of natural products

Garcinone E

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
2. Acta tropica
3. Natural product research

Mangostin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Planta medica
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

beta-Mangostin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of natural products
3. Natural product research

3-isomangostin

1. Journal of natural products
2. Planta medica

9-Hydroxycalabaxanthone

1. Acta tropica
2. Journal of natural products

CALCIUM

1. Dr. Duke
2. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Garcinia mangostana has 252 reported activities identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Anticancer, Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, Neuroprotective.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science
3. Current neuropharmacology
4. Journal of food science and technology
5. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Applied biochemistry and biotechnology
3. Veterinary world
4. Pharmaceutics
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
3. Veterinary world
4. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
5. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI

Antimicrobial

1. Veterinary world
2. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet
3. Journal of International Society of Preventive & Community Dentistry
4. Tropical biomedicine

Neuroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current neuropharmacology
3. Planta medica
4. Tropical biomedicine

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Antiallergic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Tropical biomedicine

Antifungal

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
2. Natural product research

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. European journal of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics

Medicinal Uses

Garcinia mangostana has 63 reported medicinal uses identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, wounds, diarrhea, inflammation, obesity.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations