Mangiferin is a glucosylxanthone (
xanthonoid). This molecule is a
glucoside of
norathyriol.
Natural occurrences
Mangiferin was first isolated from the leaves and bark of ''
Mangifera indica'' (the
mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in Sout ...
tree). It can also be extracted from
mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in Sout ...
peels and kernels,
''
Iris unguicularis'', ''
Anemarrhena asphodeloides'' rhizomes
and ''
Bombax ceiba
''Bombax ceiba'', like other trees of the genus '' Bombax'', is commonly known as cotton tree. More specifically, it is sometimes known as Malabar silk-cotton tree; red silk-cotton; red cotton tree; or ambiguously as silk-cotton or kapok, both of ...
'' leaves. It is also found in the genera ''
Salacia'' and ''
Cyclopia'', as well as in
coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
Seeds of ...
leaves and some species of ''
Crocus
''Crocus'' (; plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of seasonal flowering plants in the family Iridaceae (iris family) comprising about 100 species of perennials growing from corms. They are low growing plants, whose flower stems remain underg ...
''.
Among the group of ''
Asplenium hybrids
The fern genus ''Asplenium'' is well known for its hybridization capacity, especially in temperate zones.
Appalachian ''Asplenium'' hybrid complex
The Appalachian hybrid complex in ''Asplenium'' is a polyploid complex composed of 3 diploid spec ...
'' known as the "Appalachian ''Asplenium'' complex", mangiferin and
isomangiferin are produced only by ''
Asplenium montanum'' and its hybrid descendants. The distinctive gold-orange
fluorescence
Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. It is a form of luminescence. In most cases, the emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore a lower photon energy, ...
of these compounds under
ultraviolet light
Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiati ...
has been used to aid in the
chromatographic identification of hybrid ''Asplenium''s.
Research
Preliminary research is conducted on the potential biological properties of mangiferin,
although there are no confirmed anti-disease effects or
prescription drug
A prescription drug (also prescription medication or prescription medicine) is a pharmaceutical drug that legally requires a medical prescription to be dispensed. In contrast, over-the-counter drugs can be obtained without a prescription. The rea ...
s approved, as of 2019.
See also
*
Euxanthic acid
Euxanthic acid is a xanthonoid glycoside, a conjugate of the aglycone euxanthone with glucuronic acid. Its magnesium salt is the primary colourant of the pigment Indian Yellow
Indian yellow is a complex pigment consisting primarily of euxa ...
References
{{xanthone
Xanthonoids
C-glycoside natural phenols