What part of the mangosteen fruit is used for medicinal purposes?
The mangosteen fruit possesses the following three components: the pericarp (rind), seeds, and the pulp (sweet inner fruit). Xanthones and polysaccharides (the medicinally active ingredients) are concentrated in the pericarp of the mangosteen fruit. The xanthones and polysaccharides are found in the pulp but in lower concentrations. For this reason, the pericarp is a very important part of the preparation. There have been over 40 xanthones identified in the pericarp, representing 25% of all known xanthones.
