Mangosteen

The purple mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), colloquially known simply as mangosteen, is a tropical evergreen tree believed to have originated in the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas of Indonesia. The tree grows from 7 to 25 m (20–80 ft) tall. The fruit of the mangosteen is sweet and tangy, juicy, and somewhat fibrous, with an inedible, deep reddish purple-colored rind (exocarp) when ripe^. In each fruit, the fragrant edible flesh that surrounds each seed is botanically endocarp.

Mangosteen is a tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia that is touted for its antioxidants, especially xanthones, a type of chemical in certain plants. Its fruit, including the rind and pulp, can be pureed together and is sometimes sold as a drink.

  
Various parts of the plant have a history of use in folk medicine, mostly in Southeast Asia. It is reputed to have possible anti-inflammatory properties, and may have been used to treat skin infections or wounds, dysentery or urinary tract infections^. Research on the phytochemistry of the plant is still inadequate to assure the safety or scientific certainty of any of these effects.