The xanthone flavonoids and other compounds in mangosteen fruit are responsible for its high level of antioxidant activity. In vitro tests have been conducted on XanoMax mangosteen 10% extract to determine the level of free radical scavenging ability in both watery and fatty environments. A major test recognized as the industry standard for measuring antioxidant activity is known as the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) assay.

The ORAC test is an in vitro assay that works by measuring the amount of free radical damage done to a fluorescent probe (measured by a change in probe intensity). Antioxidants lessen the damage to the probe fluorescence, which indicates a reduction in free radical damage. This measure is used to quantify the antioxidant’s (or combination of antioxidants) capacity to quench free radicals. This quantification is known as the total ORAC value.

The total ORAC value provides a relative measure of total antioxidant strength of any substance, allowing for comparison of different mixtures. A high ORAC value corresponds to a high total in vitro antioxidant capacity.
The development of the ORAC test has led to a number of commonly eaten foods being assessed in terms of total ORAC scores per serving. Similarly, particular combinations of antioxidants, such as those in nutritional formulas, can also be assessed for their total ORAC scores. This has led to the ability to determine the potential usefulness of a particular supplement in increasing overall antioxidant capacity.

When XanoMax mangosteen 10% extract was tested for ORAC value, the resulting antioxidant potential was over 3,500 ORAC units per gram of extract. This result is extremely high. ORAC values of compounds vary with their nutrient concentration, moisture content and other factors. For comparison purposes, whole blueberries, considered to be a rich source of antioxidants, had an ORAC value of 61 units per gram, while pomegranate tested at 105 ORAC units per gram.1 XanoMax mangosteen extract is a potentially rich source of beneficial antioxidants*

Maintains Healthy Immune Function*

Evidence from several animal and in vitro studies on various cell lines suggests that components of mangosteen fruit extract may play a role in modulating several factors important to healthy immune function.
Of the active components, xanthone derivatives seem to play the major role in influencing parameters of immune function in animals and in vitro models. Mangostin is the xanthone derivative that most of these studies have focused on.

A study published in 2002 assessed the effects of mangosteen extracts on the release of histamine from rat cell lines. The comparison was made to extracts of a plant frequently used in Japan, Rubus suavissimus, which is a known inhibitor of IgE-mediated histamine release from these cells. The assay showed that the mangosteen extracts used inhibited the release of histamine from these cells more potently than the extract of Rubus suavissimus. In addition, the authors compared the two herbs for prostaglandin E2 synthesis in another rat cell line and found that the mangosteen extract potently inhibited prostaglandin E2 synthesis in this in vitro trial, whereas the other herb had no effect.2

An earlier study was performed in guinea pig tracheal and rabbit thoracic aortal tissue. In this study, alpha mangostin prevented histamine-induced contraction and was shown to be a competitive histamine receptor antagonist in the smooth muscle tissue of the trachea and aorta of the animals selected. The results seen in this laboratory study were determined to be concentration-dependent. The authors suggested that alpha mangostin should undergo further studies to determine its effects on the modulation of the histamine response.3

Further in vitro assessments point to potential actions of mangosteen components in modulating effectors of occasional inflammation in the immune system. Studies in rat glioma cells suggest that mangostins inhibit enzymatic reactions that can lead to the production of specific prostaglandins.4,5 By inhibiting these reactions, mangostins may play a role in modulating overall immune function, promoting healthy immunity.

Mangosteen and its constituents hold much promise for their potential ability to enhance immune function and promote health. In addition to being a highly nutritious food, mangosteen extract is full of antioxidant activity. It has an extremely high ORAC value and a great potential for enhancing free radical defenses in the body. Best Mangosteen 10% extract contains XanoMax ™, which is standardized to a high level of active mangostin, the class of compounds shown in in vitro studies to benefit certain aspects of immune function.

• Mangosteen Extract contains no calories and no unusual taste.

References

1. XanoMax ™: High-potency extract of Mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana. Renaissance Herbs. From www.renaissanceherbs.com
2. Nakatani K, et al. Inhibitions of histamine release and prostaglandin E2 synthesis by mangosteen, a Thai medicinal plant. Biol Pharm Bull. 2002 Sep;25(9):1137-41.
3. Chairungsrilerd N, et al. Pharmacological properties of alpha-mangostin, a novel histamine H1 receptor antagonist. Eur J Pharmacol. 1996 Oct 31;314(3):351-6.
4. Nakatani K, et al. Gamma-Mangostin inhibits inhibitor-kappaB kinase activity and decreases lipopolysaccharide-induced cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression in C6 rat glioma cells. Mol Pharmacol. 2004 Sep;66(3):667-74.
5. Nakatani K, et al. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase and prostaglandin E2 synthesis by gamma-mangostin, a xanthone derivative in mangosteen, in C6 rat glioma cells. Biochem Pharmacol. 2002 Jan 1;63(1):73-9.

Reprinted with exclusive permission of Doctors Best.