garcinias
Garcinia · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Sparse (44 studies) · ★☆☆☆☆
Garcinia, scientifically known as Garcinia, is a diverse genus of tropical trees renowned for their potent medicinal properties. Often called "Malabar tamarind," these plants are rich in hydroxycitric acid (HCA). They are widely utilized in traditional medicine to support weight management, enhance digestion, and provide powerful antioxidant benefits.
- Family
- Clusiaceae
- Native range
- Africa
- Parts used
- Fruit · Leaf
- Common names
- Garcinias · Mangosteen Genus
- Scientific synonyms
- Hebradendron · Cambogia · 25 more
Names
Common Names
- garcinias
- Mangosteen genus
Scientific Names
Accepted name
GarciniaSynonyms
- Hebradendron
- Cambogia
- Chloromyron
- Discostigma
- Allanblackia
- Xanthochymus
- Rheedia
- Rhinostigma
- Magostan
- Mangostana
- Verticillaria
- Coddampulli
- Clusianthemum
- Tsimatimia
- Tripetalum
- Terpnophyllum
- Ochrocarpos
- Oxycarpus
- Lamprophyllum
- Koddampuli
- Septogarcinia
- Stearodendron
- Platorheedia
- Pentaphalangium
- Brindonia
- Stalagmitis
- Biwaldia
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Malpighiales, it is classified under the family Clusiaceae. Its taxonomic identity is further defined by its placement in the genus Garcinia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Malpighiales | WCVP |
| Family | Clusiaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Garcinia | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a specific distribution pattern concentrated within the West Tropical Africa region. It is found natively in the country of Benin, where it thrives in local ecosystems. The species also extends its range into Burkina Faso, contributing to the regional biodiversity. Furthermore, its presence is documented throughout Guinea-Bissau and the neighboring nation of Guinea. Consequently, its geographical footprint is primarily defined by these specific West African territories.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Burkina | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ghana | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea-Bissau | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ivory Coast | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Liberia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mali | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Nigeria | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Niger | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as Garcinia, offers various components that are utilized for their medicinal and nutritional properties. The most widely recognized part is the fruit, which is often consumed for its unique flavor and bioactive compounds. Within the fruits, the seeds are also present, though they are typically separated from the fleshy pulp. Beyond the fruit, the stem barks are frequently harvested for their concentrated chemical constituents used in traditional remedies. Additionally, the roots of the plant are sometimes employed in medicinal preparations, ensuring that almost every part of the organism serves a specific purpose in holistic health.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| fruit | Drug design, development and therapy (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| leaf | Drug design, development and therapy (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root | Drug design, development and therapy (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seed | Drug design, development and therapy (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem | Drug design, development and therapy (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Garcinia has 11 reported phytochemicals identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Garcinol, 7-epiclusianone, Bioflavonoids, Griffipavixanthone, HEXANE.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Garcinol | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 7-epiclusianone | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Bioflavonoids | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Griffipavixanthone | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| HEXANE | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Kolaflavanone | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Neobractatin | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Triterpenes | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cambogin | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| gambogic acid | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Garcinol
- Drug design, development and therapy
- Nature communications
7-epiclusianone
- Drug design, development and therapy
Bioflavonoids
- Drug design, development and therapy
Griffipavixanthone
- Drug design, development and therapy
HEXANE
- Drug design, development and therapy
Kolaflavanone
- Journal of biochemistry
Neobractatin
- Drug design, development and therapy
Triterpenes
- Drug design, development and therapy
cambogin
- Drug design, development and therapy
gambogic acid
- Current medicinal chemistry
Activities
Garcinia has 4 reported activities identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antimalarial, Antiplasmodial, Cytotoxic.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial | Current medicinal chemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimalarial | African health sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiplasmodial | African health sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | Current medicinal chemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Garcinia has 8 reported medicinal uses identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Dengue virus, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, breast cancer, cardiovascular diseases, malaria.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Dengue virus | Bioinformation (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Type 2 diabetes mellitus | Journal of advanced pharmaceutical technology & research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| breast cancer | Drug design, development and therapy (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cardiovascular diseases | Current medicinal chemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| malaria | Current medicinal chemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| metabolic syndrome | Journal of advanced pharmaceutical technology & research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| obesity | Journal of advanced pharmaceutical technology & research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| overweight | Journal of advanced pharmaceutical technology & research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| fruit extract | Annals of medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |