Mangosteen making an impact in US
the antioxidant-rich 'superfruits' that have attracted increasing
interest from industry and consumers this year, and awareness looks
set to grow in the coming year.
The fruit, which originates from southeast Asia, is still relatively unknown in the United States.
Some studies have investigated the role of mangostin, one of a family of active compounds known as xanthones, in inhibiting 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.
Datamonitor's ProductScan Online identified mangosteen as one of several antioxidant-rich fruits that, together, make up one of its top ten trends to watch in 2006.
Director Tom Vierhile told NutraIngredients-USA.com that three food and beverage products were identified by the market researcher in 2005, compared to two in 2004 and one in 2003.
Whilst this indicates a trickle rather than a flood, he said that there is "some interest in the benefits of superfruits like mangosteen and pomegranate, so we are seeing companies turn these into headline products".
Moreover, it may be that some products containing mangosteen or mangosteen-derived ingredients were not picked up because of the way they were represented on the label.
This year two ingredients suppliers have expanded their offerings of mangosteen-derived ingredients to the industry.
Renaissance Herbs, added a new high-potency mangosteen extract to its XanoMax line which is standardized to 95 percent mangostin. It has also protected the brand with a registered trademark.
Martin Bauer North America, meanwhile, introduced xanthosteen 3510 standardized to 3,500µmoleTE/g ORAC total, 10 percent alpha-mangostin by HPLC and 20 percent polyphenols, for use in dietary supplements, drinks, juices and cosmetics.
It previously offered two mangosteen peel ingredients - a peel powder standardized to not less than 1500 ORAC per gram and a tea cut - as well as freeze dried mangosteen fruit powder.
As for consumer interest in mangosteen-based consumer products, Utah-based Pure Fruit Technologies, whose headline mangosteeen-based juice supplement called Mango.xan launched in 2004, has reported a 548 percent increase in sales in the past year. Production has risen from 6,500 bottles a month in 2004, when the product launched, to 52,000 in 2005.
