The new addition is standardized to 95 percent mangostin, one of a family of active compounds found in the fruit known as xanthones.
Extracted by Renaissance from the rind of the mangosteen fruit, mangostin is a high ranker on the ORAC antioxidant scale. It is claimed to inhibit the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol and the activity of PGE2, COX-1, and COX-2 (prostaglandin E2 and cyclooxygenases-1 and -2), key factors involved in inflammatory conditions.
"Our line-up of five grades allows us to provide perfectly tailored mangosteen extracts for use in beverages, cosmetic applications, capsules and tablets," said company president Alex Moffett.
Renaissance Herbs first introduced XanoMax in early 2004. There are three other grades in the line: water soluble standardized to 1 percent gamma-mangostin, 5 percent flavonoids and 15 percent tannins; standard grade 10 percent gamma-mangostin, 25 percent flavonoids and 12 percent tannins; standard grade 20 percent gamma-mangostin, 50 percent flavonoids and 12 percent tannins; and cosmetic grade 40 percent gamma-mangostin and 95 percent flavonoids.
With a factory and R&D center in Bangalore, India, and offices in Bangkok, Thailand, Renaissance claims to be the world's leading supplier of mangosteen extracts.
However it faces competition in the US market from Martin Bauer North America, which last month introduced a new extract of mangosteen peel called xanthosteen 3510, standardized to 3,500µmoleTE/g ORAC total, 10 percent alpha-mangostin by HPLC and 20 percent polyphenols.
MBNA's two other mangosteen peel ingredients include a peel powder standardized to not less than 1500 ORAC per gram, a tea cut and freeze dried mangosteen fruit powder.
The dried fruit is used in much of Asia for medicinal use to overcome dysentery, or as an ointment, applied on eczema and other skin disorders. The rind decoction is taken to relieve diarrhea and cystitis.