Western Ghats Kokum Foundation - Organic Farming Association of ...

Mango steen grows best in a fertile, well-drained soil with an acid pH and high
organic matter content. Rainfall or supplemental irrigation should be available throughout
the year, although they tolerate brief periods of drought, and this stress may induce
flowering. Mangosteen will grow from sea level to 5,000 feet (1,524 m), but suffers if
temperatures drop to 40°F (4C) or lower.
Trees should be fertilized every 3 to 4 months during the first 3 years of growth, and
thereafter one to two times per year. Mulching is recommended to add nutrients and
organic matter to the soil, conserve moisture and control weeds. With good care, trees can
begin to produce fruits at 6 to 8 years from planting. Young trees produce about 100 to 200
fruits per year, while a mature tree can produce from 500 to1,000 or more. In Puerto Rico,
mangosteen fruits from July to December.
Cultivars and Related Species
Mangosteen is apomictic, with female plants producing clonal seeds without
fertilization. Thus, there is little variation in mangosteen and almost no cultivars exist.
However, the Malaysian Department of Agriculture has identified two clones, 'GA1' and
'Ga2', whose fruits differ in shape, weight, external color, and number of seeds. It is
hypothesized that mangosteen is a polyploid that arose from natural hybridization
between Garcinia hombroniana y G. malaccensis.
There are over 100 Garcinia species, mostly from south-east Asia. Of these,
approximately 30 have edible fruits, but the mangosteen is the most important and has the
best quality fruit. Other important Garcinia species include G. atroviridis (assam gelugur),
G. hombroniana (seashore mangosteen), G. indica (Kokum), G. parvifolia (assam aur aur),
G. prainiana (cherapu) and G. xanthochymus (yellow mangosteen).
Chemical Composition
The bitter and astringent rind of the fruit of Garcinia mangostana, according to W.
Schmid, contains tannin, resin, and crystallizable mangostine (C20H22O5), forming
golden-yellow, tasteless scales, melting at 190° C. (374° F.), readily soluble in alcohol or
ether, insoluble in water. Basic lead acetate precipitates it from its alcoholic solution. Its
solution in alkalies reduces gold and silver solutions. The acidity of the fruit is due to malic
acid. The resinous exudation of the trunk of the tree was investigated, in 1858, by N. Reitler
in Wittstein's laboratory (Vierteljahresschr. f. prakt. Pharm., Vol. VII, p. 170), and found to
consist of 88 percent of resin, soluble in alcohol and in ether. Ammonia differentiates it into
a soluble and an insoluble resin.
Kokum butter exists in the seeds of Garcinia purpurea to the extent of 30 per cent,
and consists chiefly of tristearin and the glycerides of oleic and myristic acids (Jahresb.
derPharm., 1896, p. 71).
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Resource Book on Kokum (Garcinia indica Choisy)
Western Ghats Kokum Foundation, Panaji - Goa