As the months fly by in this new health adventure, research on the Mangosteen’s xanthones continues to accumulate. Independent university laboratories in schools of medicine and pharmacies around the world are probing the secrets of this magnificent fruit. And as a result, amazing new discoveries are being brought to light.

Recently, Dr. Sunit, of the University of Bangkok, published an article on one xanthone’s ability to kill a tuberculosis bacteria that still ravages populations in the Third World. This was the second research paper to document the anti-tuberculosis effect of the xanthones. When I visited with Dr. Sunit earlier this year, she discussed with me and David A. Morton, Ph.D. four more research projects that she had underway at that time. Journal articles will undoubtedly be published on these projects in the near future. Interestingly, she could not discuss a fifth project with me as it was confidential and being funded by pharmaceutical interests. I did learn, however, that the research had to do with the cholesterol-lowering effect of certain xanthones.

Earlier this year, the Gifu International Institute of Biotechnology (from the laboratory of Dr. Matsumoto) at Gifu University in Japan published a study in the Journal of Natural Products. Dr. Matsumoto was able to demonstrate that six (not one, but six) xanthones had the amazing ability to kill leukemia cells in laboratory experiments. Of the six xanthones, alpha, beta, and gamma mangostin (the most studied of all xanthones) demonstrated the most potent ability to destroy leukemia cells. I intend to visit Dr. Matsumoto in the near future to discuss his future projects.

In September, I was in Japan to visit with Dr. Ohizumi, Dr. Nakatani, and Dr. Nakahata of Tohoku University in Sendai. These three professors have produced several papers on the xanthone’s power to prevent inflammation in brain cell preparations. They have also researched the ability of xanthones to act as antihistamines. Unfortunately, when I arrived, I was only able to visit with Dr. Nakahata, the head of the “Second Messenger” division of the pharmacy school’s laboratories. The reason that Dr. Nakatani and Dr. Ohizumi were unavailable was most intriguing! They had both been put under contract by large pharmaceutical and vitamin-producing firms, the former with Riken Corporation and the later with Pfizer Pharmaceutical! They, of course, will be under the “gag effect” of non-disclosure agreements as they presumably work on projects intended to produce commercial products from the Mangosteen.

Mangosteen researchers involved in confidential medical product research! Mangosteen researchers being hired away from their academic posts by the world’s largest pharmaceutical company and by Japan’s largest producer of vitamin products! What does it mean?

Almost every week, Dr. Morton and I discuss requests from university research scientists and medical practitioners for assistance in setting up new research projects to confirm the clinical results experienced by mangosteen users. The enthusiasm that exists among these medical experts means just one thing to me – the research into the Mangosteen’s potential is going to explode in the near future!

Consider these facts:

• Only seven of the 39 known xanthones have even been studied in laboratories.
• Over 50 university papers exist to document the xanthones’ medicinal qualities!
• Mangosteen researchers are involved in the development of pharmaceutical products from this magnificent plant.
• Corporations, among the largest in the pharmaceutical and food supplement fields, are scrambling to secure a position in what I would call “mangosteen futures”.

Over 50 university papers exist to document the xanthones’ medicinal qualities!