The xanthone content of commercial mangosteen juices was investigated using α-mangostin as a marker, as it is a prominent xanthone in mangosteen pericarp.Samples of commercial mangosteen juices, reported to contain the pericarp or an extract of the pericarp, were purchased at retail stores, through product distributors, or via the internet.Samples were analyzed for α-mangostin by HPLC.The samples were also subject to the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assay, which was then correlated to α-mangostin content. Our chemical analysis of Mango●Xan® mangosteen juice for α-mangostin, the major xanthone component with notable antioxidant activity, reveals that beneficial compounds are retained following commercial processing. This samplecontained 266 μg α-mangostin /mL. Our analysis also revealed that several other commercial mangosteen juices contained α-mangostin in the range of 18 to 238 μg /mL.Additionally, we found that α-mangostin concentrations correlate fairly well with the antioxidant capacity (R 2=0.84). For instance, the juices that contained 266 and 18 μg α-mangostin/mL had measured oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values of 66,285 and 9,714 μmol trolox equivalents (TE)/L, respectively. However, we could not detect any α-mangostin in one particular brand.Some commercial mangosteen juices contain appreciable quantities of xanthones, indicating that normal fruit juice manufacturing processes do not cause significant degradation or removal. However, the observed variability in the α-mangostin content observed is likely due to differences in ingredient composition. Inclusion of mangosteen pericarp, or extracts derived there from, is not equal among the several brands. Not all commercial mangosteen juices are of equivalent quality and value.
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