It’s time for the “Queen of Fruits” to show off again, but I really don’t recommend you to “praise” it

Mangosteen is known as the "Queen of Fruits". It has a purple skin and white and tender flesh. It is full and juicy, soft and sweet, and has a unique aroma.

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Now is the season when mangosteen is on the market, and those who like mangosteen can't wait to eat a handful. But mangosteen is not cheap. Besides being delicious, does it have any nutritional value? This article will talk about mangosteen.

How nutritious is mangosteen?

Mangosteen is the fruit of the Asian mangosteen tree, also known as mangosteen, phoenix fruit, and mangosteen. It is native to Indonesia and Malaysia and is a typical tropical fruit, mainly distributed in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

In 1919, Taiwan first introduced mangosteen, and then the southeastern coastal provinces also began to cultivate it. At present, it is also planted in Hainan, Taiwan, Fujian, Guangdong and Yunnan. The fruit ripening period of Hainan mangosteen is generally from June to July, and the fruit ripening period of Thailand is generally from August to September. Mangosteen pulp can not only be eaten fresh, but also made into canned food, jam, candied fruit, jelly, juice, candied haws, etc.

Mangosteen fruit has a leathery dark purple skin with a thickness of about 0.8~1.1 cm, accounting for 52%~68% of the fruit weight; the flesh is white or white translucent, which is the edible part, accounting for 29%~45% of the whole fruit. It tastes tender and juicy, sour and sweet, with a pleasant smell, and has fruity and floral aromas.

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As for the nutritional value of mangosteen, it is not outstanding among fruits.

Its dietary fiber content is only 0.4 g/100 g, which is less than the apples and oranges we often eat; its vitamin C content is only 1.2 mg/100 g, which is only 1/30 of that of oranges; its potassium content is 48 mg/100 g, which is less than 1/5 of that of bananas.

In addition, although some literature mentions that mangosteen has outstanding antioxidant properties, it is mainly attributed to the flavonoids, xanthones, anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins in the mangosteen peel . Considering that the peel is not eaten when eating mangosteen under normal circumstances, this aspect is of little value to us.

Overall, when we eat mangosteen, don't expect to get too much nutrition from it. Just eat it for its nutritious and delicious taste and to satisfy your craving.

However, the calorie content of mangosteen is not low, at 72 kcal/100 g, which is comparable to lychee, higher than apples, grapes, oranges, peaches, bayberries, strawberries, etc. that we eat daily, and nearly three times that of melons. In addition, the sugar content of mangosteen is not low, with a carbohydrate content of 18 g/100 g, which is nearly three times that of bayberries, melons, and lemons.

It is not very friendly to those who are in the stage of controlling weight or losing weight. The edible part of one mangosteen is about 15 to 30 grams, so the amount must be controlled.

Photo: A 5A grade mangosteen, the edible part is about 23 grams (photo taken by myself)

Choose the right mangosteen, look at these

Mangosteen belongs to the genus Garcinia in the family Garcinia. One of the classification characteristics of Garcinia is the presence of reduced stamens or reduced pistils. Mangosteen can reproduce asexually, with male flowers just for show and female flowers bearing fruit without pollination. This mode of reproduction is called apomixis, which means that its offspring are clones of its mother tree. So, mangosteen is really the "Queen of Fruits".

Mangosteen seeds are generally considered to be arils, and now it is believed that they are asexually developed from the inner cortical wall cells, just like the seeds. The "butt" of mangosteen contains the "code" for selecting mangosteen. There is a flower-shaped umbilicus at the bottom of each mangosteen. If you carefully count the number of "petals" on the umbilicus, you can guess the number of petals in the flesh. The umbilicus is the remains of the stigma, and the number of stigmas is consistent with the number of mangosteen ovaries, usually 4 to 7 petals.

Picture: Taken by myself

Therefore, when buying mangosteen, be sure to look at its "butt" and choose the one with more petals ! In addition to paying attention to the number of petals on the mangosteen's "butt", it is also recommended to do the following 3 things.

1

Look at the appearance

Choose mangosteen with green stalks and sepals and purple-red shells, which means it is relatively fresh. If the sepals are black and the shell is brown, it is not very fresh.

Picture: Taken by myself

2

Pinch

Although the "skin" of mangosteen is relatively thick, it is not hard. The shell of fresh mangosteen is actually relatively soft, and it will be elastic and can recover on its own if you pinch it. If the shell of mangosteen is very hard and cannot be pinched, it is not fresh. This is because as the storage time increases, along with the metabolism of the shell cells, the shell will dehydrate and gradually produce more and more lignin, and it will become harder and harder.

3

Look at the size

"GB/T 41625-2022 Mangosteen Quality Grades" divides mangosteen into three grades, including large fruit (L), medium fruit (M), and small fruit (S). The single fruit weight of large fruit is >100 grams, medium fruit is 75~100 grams, and small fruit is 50~75 grams.

In the market, merchants classify mangosteen into different grades according to size, quality, and weight, including: 2A is small fruit; 3A and 4A are medium fruit; 5A and 6A are large fruit. There is no strict definition for this grade, and the larger the number, the better the quality. 2A fruit is very small, only the size of a ping-pong ball, and there is not much flesh left after shelling. If your wallet allows, go for 5A and 6A, which are very satisfying to eat.

Photo: 1 5A grade mangosteen, 85 grams in shell (photo taken by myself)

How to store mangosteen?

Although mangosteen is a tropical fruit, it is recommended to store it at low temperatures . This is because the shell of mangosteen is prone to lignification and browning after picking. As the storage time increases, the shell and flesh will change, and the nutrients will continue to be metabolized and consumed, and the quality will gradually deteriorate.

A study compared the changes in mangosteen when stored at 4°C and at room temperature of 30°C, and found that low-temperature 4°C refrigeration can delay the decline of mangosteen's soluble protein, soluble solids, vitamin C and other nutrients, and can also effectively inhibit the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the fruit. MDA is one of the most important products of membrane lipid peroxidation during plant aging. Its production can aggravate cell membrane damage. The accumulation of MDA will cause certain damage to the plasma membrane and organelles of fruit and vegetable cells.

Therefore, it is recommended to store the mangosteen you bought in a refrigerator at 4°C, but don't store it for too long, and eat it within a week at most. Otherwise, the shell will gradually become hard, and the flesh will gradually oxidize and deteriorate, changing from milky white to transparent white, and then gradually turning yellow and deteriorating.

Picture: Taken by myself

If it just turns transparent, you can still eat it, but if it turns yellow, don't eat it. Some mangosteens have yellow spots on their shells, which is normal and a characteristic of the genus Garcinia. It is the resin that flows out when the surface of the plant is scratched and turns yellow after solidification.

Picture: Taken by myself

Summarize:

Mangosteen is soft, sweet, tender and juicy, making it a must-eat in summer. However, it is important to note that mangosteen is high in calories and sugar, so in addition to eating in moderation, you should also rinse your mouth after eating it!

References

[1] Yang Lianzhen. Mangosteen[J]. Tropical Agricultural Sciences, 2002, 22(4): 60-6671

[2] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[3] Nong Zhongwen, Liu Xiaojing, Zeng Xiaofang, Yu Limei. Current status of comprehensive utilization of mangosteen and research progress on active ingredients from peel [J]. Guangzhou Chemical Industry, 2017, 45(22): 6-8

[4] Zou Minghong, Du Liqing, Zeng Hui, Zhang Hanzhou, Luo Lianfang, Lu Chaozhong. Research progress on resources and utilization of Garcinia plants[J]. Journal of Tropical Crops, 2007, 28(4): 122-127

[5] GB/T 41625-2022, Mangosteen quality grades[S].

[6] Yu Limei, Liu Zhaoxia, Chen Haiguang, Yang Min. Effects of different storage temperatures on mangosteen shell cell metabolites and pulp quality[J]. Food Science, 2013, 34(20): 318-322

Planning and production

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review丨Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert

Planning丨Yinuo

Editor: Yinuo

Proofread by Xu Lai and Lin Lin