Mangosteen is a relatively new product into the Halth and Nutrition categories, mostly sold in juice.

The mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a tropical evergreen tree, probably to have originated in the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas.

The mangosteen tree grows from 7 to 25 meters tall. The rind of the edible fruit is deep reddish purple when ripe. The fragrant flesh is sweet and creamy, citrusy with a touch of peach flavor. In Asia, the mangosteen fruit is known as the "Queen of Fruits."

The isolation of pigments has allowed to discover the main component named as xanthones, mainly garcinol and mangostin, which, as phenolics, make the exocarp highly astringent and inedible.

The plant does not start producing fruit until around 15 years old, which is somewhat an impediment to cultivation.

Whithout irradiation or fumigation as the whole fruit, the mangosteen is prohibited to be imported for commercial purposes in the United States. Some restaurants offer fruis grown in Puerto Rico, but most of mangosteen enter the U.S. as juice, freeze-dried fruit and nutritional supplements. Main producing countries are Malaysia, Indonesia and hte Philippines. Mangosteeen is very popular in Central Africa.

Mangosteeen is now included in the emerging categories of functional foods, also called the "superfruits" because of its qualities such as taste, fragrance and visual appeal; its nutrients; its antioxidant strength and the potential impact for lowering risk against human diseases.