Review

α-Mangostin from the mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) fruit for prostate cancer 

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Abstract

Xanthones from the mangosteen are a collection of bioactive compounds derived from the Garcinia mangostana L. The fruit of the mangosteen has been widely studied for its medicinal benefit and most recently identified as a potent anti-cancer agent. Despite recent advancement in treatment of prostate cancer, therapeutic resistance driven by the AR-V7 splice variant remains a significant challenge. This review elucidates the ability of mangosteen xanthones to exhibit anti-proliferative and apoptotic activity in prostate cancer models. Mechanistic studies reveal that α-mangostin, a most abundant xanthones from mangosteen, induce degradation of both AR, AR mutant and AR-V7, overcoming therapeutic resistance. Studies show that this AR and AR-V7 degradation is associated with modulation of ER chaperone protein BiP, leading to ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. α-Mangostin has been shown to activate UPR sensor proteins including PERK, IRE1 and CHOP. Beyond the AR signaling pathway, α-mangostin has been reported to inhibit tumor progression, induce cell cycle arrest, and promote apoptosis via inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). Preclinical animal studies highlight the efficacy and safety profile of α-mangostin demonstrating prostate tumor inhibition without adverse toxicity on normal cells. Pharmacokinetic studies indicate that α-mangostin is well tolerated and safe in both preclinical and clinical trials. In summary, understanding the mechanism of action and identifying direct molecular target of α-mangostin is important for development of novel anti-cancer agents and further clinical studies are required to evaluate its efficacy in chemotherapy.  

Keywords: Xanthones, Garcinia mangostana, mangosteen, prostate cancer, BiP, CDKs, xanthones, cdks

How to Cite:

Thapa, P. & Johnson, J. J., (2025) “α-Mangostin from the mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) fruit for prostate cancer ”, Journal of Medicinally Active Plants 14(4), 62–70. doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/jmap.3639