Garcinia

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Garcinia
Garcinia subelliptica (200703).jpg
Garcinia subelliptica , the fukugi tree
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Clusiaceae
Tribe: Garcinieae
Genus: Garcinia
L.
Species

See list of Garcinia species

Synonyms
  • Brindonia Thouars
  • BiwaldiaScop.
  • BrindoniaThouars
  • CambogiaL.
  • Clusianthemum Vieill.
  • CoddampulliAdans.
  • DiscostigmaHassk.
  • HebradendronGraham
  • KoddampuliAdans.
  • LamprophyllumMiers
  • MagostanAdans.
  • Mangostana Gaertn.
  • OchrocarposNoronha ex Thouars (Ochrocarpus was an orthographic variant)
  • Oxycarpus Lour.
  • Pentaphalangium Warb.
  • RheediaL.
  • Septogarcinia Kosterm.
  • StalagmitesSpreng.
  • StalagmitisMurray
  • TerpnophyllumThwaites
  • Tripetalum K.Schum.
  • Tsimatimia Jum. & H.Perrier
  • Verticillaria Ruiz & Pav.
  • Xanthochymus Roxb.

Garcinia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clusiaceae native to Asia, America, Australia, tropical and southern Africa, and Polynesia. The number of species is disputed; Plants of the World Online (POWO) recognise up to 400. [1] Commonly, the plants in this genus are called saptrees, mangosteens (which may also refer specifically to Garcinia mangostana ), or garcinias, and is one of several plants known as by the name "monkey fruit".

Contents

Many species are threatened by habitat destruction, and at least one species, G. cadelliana , from South Andaman Island, is almost or even completely extinct already. [2]

The fruits are a food source for several animals, such as the archduke butterflies (Lexias spp.) of tropical eastern Asia which relish the sap of overripe mangosteens.

The genus is named after French botanist Laurent Garcin (1683–1751). [3]

Description

Garcinia species are evergreen trees and shrubs, dioecious and in several cases apomictic. The fruit is a berry with fleshy endocarp, [4] which in several species is delicious. Among neotropical Garcinia several species are dioecious (G. leptophylla, G. macrophylla and G. magnifolia), although female trees have often been observed to have some degree of self-fertility.

Uses

Hydroxycitric acid, a chemical compound found in mangosteen rind Hydroxycitric acid.png
Hydroxycitric acid, a chemical compound found in mangosteen rind

The fruit of most species of Garcinia are eaten locally; some species' fruits are highly esteemed in one region, but unknown just a few hundred kilometres away. The best-known species is Garcinia mangostana , which is now cultivated throughout Southeast Asia and other tropical countries, having become established in the late 20th century. Less well-known, but still of international importance, are kandis (G. forbesii) with small round red fruits with subacid taste and melting flesh, the lemon drop mangosteen (G. intermedia) with yellow fruit that look like a wrinkled lemon, and the thin-skinned orange button mangosteen (G. prainiana).

In addition, mangosteen rind (exocarp) extract is used as a spice. It figures prominently in Kodava culture, and G. multiflora is used to flavour and colour the famous bún riêu soup of Vietnam, where this plant is known as hạt điều màu. Garcinia gummi-gutta yields a spice widely used in South Asia, in particular in Kerala, where it is called kodumpulli.

Most species in Garcinia are known for their gum resin, brownish-yellow from xanthonoids such as mangostin, and used as purgative or cathartic, but most frequently – at least in former times – as a pigment. The colour term gamboge refers to this pigment.

Extracts of the exocarp of certain species – typically G. gummi-gutta, but also G. mangostana – are often contained in appetite suppressants, but their effectiveness at normal consumption levels is unproven, while at least one case of severe acidosis caused by long-term consumption of such products has been documented. [5] Furthermore, they may contain significant amounts of hydroxycitric acid, which is somewhat toxic and might even destroy the testicles after prolonged use. [6]

Bitter kola (G. kola) seeds are used in folk medicine. [7] G. mannii is popular as a chew stick in western Africa, [8] freshening the breath and cleaning the teeth.

G. subelliptica , called fukugi in Japanese, is the floral emblem of Mobuto and Tarama on Okinawa. The Malaysian town of Beruas – often spelled "Bruas" – derives its name from the seashore mangosteen ( G. hombroniana ), known locally as pokok bruas. It has been used for many years by certain[ which? ] African tribes as a tonic believed to increase 'energy levels' and to possess digestive and fat-busting properties[ dubious ][ citation needed ].

Species

Young mo`onia tree (Garcinia pseudoguttifera) Garcinia pseudoguttifera.jpg
Young moʻonia tree ( Garcinia pseudoguttifera )
Heilala (Garcinia sessilis) flowers Garcinia sessilis, flower.jpg
Heilala ( Garcinia sessilis ) flowers

As of December 2018, Kew's Plants of the World Online lists nearly 400 accepted species. [1] Selected species include:

Genetic Diversity

The genetic diversity of 22 Garcinia accessions was analyzed using peroxidase, RAPD markers, and gene sequence-specific amplification polymorphism (GSSAP). [9] Genetic diversity assessment revealed low genetic variation among them. [9] Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Garcinia species clustered into five groups at a mean similarity coefficient of 0.54. [9] This study showed that the G. magostana accessions can be clearly distinguished by combined peroxidase, RAPD, and gene sequence-specific amplification polymorphism. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kola nut</span> Fruit of the kola tree

The kola nut is the seed of certain species of plant of the genus Cola, placed formerly in the cocoa family Sterculiaceae and now usually subsumed in the mallow family Malvaceae. These cola species are trees native to the tropical rainforests of Africa. Their caffeine-containing seeds are about 5 centimetres (2.0 in) across and are used as flavoring ingredients in beverages applied to various carbonated soft drinks, from which the name cola originates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mangosteen</span> Tropical evergreen tree with edible fruit

Mangosteen, also known as the purple mangosteen, is a tropical evergreen tree with edible fruit native to tropical lands surrounding the Indian Ocean. Its origin is uncertain due to widespread prehistoric cultivation. It grows mainly in Southeast Asia, southwest India and other tropical areas such as Colombia and Puerto Rico, where the tree has been introduced.

<i>Prunus laurocerasus</i> Species of plant

Prunus laurocerasus, also known as cherry laurel, common laurel and sometimes English laurel in North America, is an evergreen species of cherry (Prunus), native to regions bordering the Black Sea in southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe, from Albania and Bulgaria east through Turkey to the Caucasus Mountains and northern Iran.

Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), also known as phenylthiourea (PTU), is an organosulfur thiourea containing a phenyl ring.

<i>Garcinia gummi-gutta</i> Species of flowering plant

Garcinia gummi-gutta is a tropical species of Garcinia native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. Common names include Garcinia cambogia, as well as brindle berry, and Malabar tamarind. The fruit looks like a small pumpkin and is green to pale yellow in color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamboge</span>

Gamboge is a deep yellow pigment derived from a species of tree that primarily grows in Cambodia. Popular in east Asian watercolor works, it has been used across a number of media dating back to the 8th century. Easy to transport and manipulate into a durable watercolor paint, gamboge is notable for its versatility as a pigment in how it has been used in paintings, printing of books, and garment dyes, including the robes of Buddhist monks. Though used in a number of different contexts, Gamboge is known not to react well with lime surfaces therefore making it unsuitable for frescos and with white lead. For its popularity, Gamboge has not been extensively identified in works of art from any time period; the few instances wherein art historians have attempted to identify whether or not the pigment was used in a given work have confirmed its widespread use and its longevity as staple within watercolor painting particularly in eastern art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xanthone</span> Chemical compound

Xanthone is an organic compound with the molecular formula O[C6H4]2CO. It is a white solid.

<i>Garcinia intermedia</i> Fruit tree

Garcinia intermedia is a species of tropical American tree which produces tasty fruit. In English it is known as the lemon drop mangosteen or sometimes monkey fruit. In Spanish it is called mameyito, though it is known as jorco in Costa Rica. In the Philippines, it is known as berba. In Portuguese it is called achachairu. The name achachairu is also applied to Garcinia humilis, another species native to Bolivia with larger, round or egg-shaped fruit. G. humilis has been commercialized in Australia under the name Achacha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berry (botany)</span> Botanical fruit with fleshy pericarp, containing one or many seeds

In botany, a berry is a fleshy fruit without a stone (pit) produced from a single flower containing one ovary. Berries so defined include grapes, currants, and tomatoes, as well as cucumbers, eggplants (aubergines) and bananas, but exclude certain fruits that meet the culinary definition of berries, such as strawberries and raspberries. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire outer layer of the ovary wall ripens into a potentially edible "pericarp". Berries may be formed from one or more carpels from the same flower. The seeds are usually embedded in the fleshy interior of the ovary, but there are some non-fleshy exceptions, such as Capsicum species, with air rather than pulp around their seeds.

<i>Pleurotus eryngii</i> Species of edible musroom

Pleurotus eryngii is an edible mushroom native to Mediterranean regions of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, but also grown in many parts of Asia.

<i>Garcinia kola</i> Species of tree

Garcinia kola is a species of flowering plant belonging to the Mangosteen genus Garcinia of the family Clusiaceae. It is found in Benin, Cameroon, The Gambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

<i>Garcinia morella</i> Species of flowering plant

Garcinia morella is a species of tree in the family Clusiaceae found in India, and Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fruit anatomy</span> Internal makeup of fruits

Fruit anatomy is the plant anatomy of the internal structure of fruit. Fruits are the mature ovary or ovaries of one or more flowers. They are found in three main anatomical categories: aggregate fruits, multiple fruits, and simple fruits.

<i>Garcinia atroviridis</i> Species of tree

Garcinia atroviridis, known as asam gelugur, asam gelugo, or asam keping is a large rainforest tree native to Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. This species grows wild throughout Peninsular Malaysia but is also widely cultivated, especially in the northern states, owing to its economic and medicinal value. Garcinia atroviridis is a large perennial plant commonly found in evergreen forests in the southern region of Thailand and Malaysia.

Garcinia binucao is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family. It is commonly known as binukaw or batuan, is a species of Garcinia endemic to the Philippines. It is not cultivated, though its edible fruits are harvested from the wild for use as a souring agent in some Filipino dishes.

Garcinia forbesii, commonly known as the rose kandis or kandis, is a small to medium-sized tree in the family Clusiaceae (Guttiferae). The specific epithet (forbesii) honors Scottish naturalist Henry Ogg Forbes.

References

  1. 1 2 "Garcinia L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  2. World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1998). "Garcinia cadelliana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 1998: e.T33490A9782233. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T33490A9782233.en . Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  3. "Garcinia forbesii". www.nparks.gov.sg. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  4. Asinelli, M.E.C.; Souza, M.C.o.d.; Mourao, K.t.S.M. (2011). "Fruit ontogeny of Garcinia gardneriana (Planch. & Triana) Zappi (Clusiaceae)". Acta Botanica Brasilica. 25 (43–52): 43–52. doi: 10.1590/S0102-33062011000100007 .
  5. Wong, Leslie P; Klemmer, Philip J (2008). "Severe Lactic Acidosis Associated with Juice of the Mangosteen Fruit Garcinia mangostana". American Journal of Kidney Diseases. 51 (5): 829–33. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2007.12.043. PMID   18436094.
  6. Saito, M; Ueno, M; Ogino, S; Kubo, K; Nagata, J; Takeuchi, M (2005). "High dose of Garcinia cambogia is effective in suppressing fat accumulation in developing male Zucker obese rats, but highly toxic to the testis". Food and Chemical Toxicology. 43 (3): 411–9. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2004.11.008. PMID   15680676.
  7. 20 Super Health Benefits Of Eating Bitter Kola (Garcinia Kola)
  8. Cheek, M. (2004). "Garcinia kola". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2004: e.T34715A9884648. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T34715A9884648.en . Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Wittayawannakull, W. ; Garcia, R. N. ; Yllano, O. B. ; Borromeo, T. H. ; Namuco, L. O. ; Tecson-Mendoza, E. M. (2010). "Assessment of genetic diversity in Garcinia species using peroxidase, RAPD and gene sequence specific amplification polymorphism (GSSAP)". Philippine Agricultural Scientist. 93: 31–41.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)