Pharmacological Activity of Garcinia indica (Kokum): An Updated Review

Abstract

Garcinia indica (commonly known as kokum), belonging to the Clusiaceae family (mangosteen family), is a tropical evergreen tree distributed in certain regions of India. It has been used in culinary and industrial applications for a variety of purposes, including acidulant in curries, pickles, health drinks, wine, and butter. In particular, G. indica has been used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation, dermatitis, and diarrhea, and to promote digestion. According to several studies, various phytochemicals such as garcinol, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), cyanidin-3-sambubioside, and cyanidin-3-glucoside were isolated from G. indica, and their pharmacological activities were published. This review highlights recent updates on the various pharmacological activities of G. indica. These studies reported that G. indica has antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antidepressant and anxiolytic effects both in vitro and in vivo. These findings, together with previously published reports of pharmacological activity of various components isolated from G. indica, suggest its potential as a promising therapeutic agent to prevent various diseases.

Critical Review on Nutritional, Bioactive, and Medicinal Potential of Spices and Herbs and Their Application in Food Fortification and Nanotechnology

“…The values of atherogenic coefficient (AC), atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), and cardiac risk ratio (CRR) have been significantly greater in the group of rats fed with Western diet in comparison with normal groups. The AC, AIP, and CRR levels are normalized with garcinol-enriched fraction (GEF) [ 532 ]…”

Anthocyanins in Chronic Diseases: The Power of Purple

“…The Indian subcontinent contains several biodiversity hotspots with a wide range of edible fruits that have received little attention for their nutritional and health properties, for example the Western Ghats in southern India [ 78 ]. Mangosteens including Garcinia indica (kokum), native to this area, contain a wide variety of biologically active compounds including cyanidin 3-sambubioside and cyanidin 3-glucoside as well as garcinol [ 79 ]. In five fruits from the Indian Himalayan region, Myrica esculenta , Berberis asiatica , Rubus ellipticus , Morus alba and Pyracantha crenulata, the anthocyanin contents increased in the ripe stage of these fruits [ 80 ].…”

A new nutraceutical (Livogen Plus®) improves liver steatosis in adults with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

“…Moreover, they can also reduce hepatic steatosis and other liver injury, both in preclinical and clinical studies [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Many other natural compound are reported to have beneficial effects on NAFLD, including indole-3-carbinol (I3C) found in cruciferous vegetables [24][25][26]; silymarin [12,27,28] and silybin [29,30] isolated from milk thistle; luteolin found in fruits, vegetables, and natural herbs [31,32] astaxanthin produced by microalgae [33] and many others [34][35][36][37][38][39][40]. Besides the bioactive components present in the diet, also endogenous substances have shown potential therapeutic effects on the liver.…”