The fruit of the mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) tree is an
important agricultural commodity in Southeast Asian countries.
Thailand, the single largest producer,harvested approximately 240
000 metric tons of fruit in 2006.1 The white edible portion, which
accounts for one third of the fruit weight, is increasingly frozen,
canned or used in the manufacture of secondary products. Few
uses have been found for the fruit pericarp which, together with
other by-products of cultivation, represents a significant source of
agricultural waste.
The long history ofmedicinal uses associated with mangosteen,
primarily for the control of infections, has stimulated examination
of the plant as a potential source of novel antimicrobials.
Chomnawang et al.2,3 measured antibacterial activity in alcoholic
extracts prepared from Tahi medicinal plants and found that
mangosteen exhibited the most potent antimicrobial effects
against several pathogenic bacterial species. A similar finding
was reported by Voravuthikunchai and Kitpipit4 in a study on
the activity of ethanolic extracts obtained from 10 traditional
Thai medicinal plants against a Staphylococcus aureus strain
resistant to multiple antibiotics. These observations hinted that