The pulp of the purple mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana, is a popular tropical fruit but the rind containing
xanthones such as α-
mangostin together with
procyanidins and
anthocyanidins is usually discarded as waste. However, this rind has been used in South-East Asia for diarrhoea,
dysentery, skin
infections and
wounds. As
xanthones have reported anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant responses, this study has determined the bioactive compounds and evaluated the effects of G. mangostana rind on physiological, metabolic, liver and cardiovascular parameters in rats with diet-induced
metabolic syndrome. Rats fed a diet with increased
simple sugars and saturated
fats developed
obesity,
hypertension, increased left ventricular stiffness, dyslipidaemia and
fatty liver. Administration of G. mangostana rind as 5% of the food to rats with diet-induced
metabolic syndrome gave a dose of 168 mg/kg/day α-
mangostin, 355 mg/kg/day
procyanidins, 3.9 mg/kg/day
anthocyanins and 11.8 mg/kg/day
hydroxycitric acid for 8 weeks which reduced
body weight and attenuated physiological and metabolic changes in rats including decreased abdominal fat deposition, decreased abdominal circumference and whole-body fat mass, improved liver structure and function and improved cardiovascular parameters such as systolic blood pressure, left ventricular stiffness and endothelial function. These responses were associated with decreased infiltration of inflammatory cells, decreased deposition of
collagen in both heart and liver and decreased mean adipocyte size in retroperitoneal adipose tissues. We conclude that, in rats with diet-induced
metabolic syndrome, chronic intake of G. mangostana rind decreased infiltration of inflammatory cells which decreased physiological, metabolic, liver and cardiovascular symptoms.