Garcinia a medicinally potential genus in Western Ghats

Abstract

The Western Ghats, is one of the hotspots of biodiversity, having plentiful economic as well as medicinal value. Garcinia is an important genus distributed in the Western Ghats having vast nutraceuticals potential. Its economic, medicinal and ecological potential make it ideally suited to the restoration of natural forests of Western Ghats. The different species comes under genus Garcinia abundant with bioactive compounds that possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, antiallergy, antiulcer, antiparasitic, and antihelminthic activities. The genus is represented by more than 200 species, among which 30 species are found in India. Garcinia mangostana (mangosteen or purple mangosteen); G. cambogia (Malabar tamarind) and G. indica (kokum) are the major commercially important species cultivated in tropical countries. The habitat, bioactive compounds especially phenolic acids and organic acids, therapeutic values and medicinal values of these species are reviewed so as to exploit its economic and medicinal potential.