Mangostanol, also known as 3-isomangostin, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as 8-prenylated xanthones. These are organic compounds containing a C5-isoprenoid group linked to a xanthone moiety at the 8-position. Xanthone is a tricyclic compound made up of two benzene rings linearly fused to each other through a pyran ring that carries a ketone group. Mangostanol is considered to be a practically insoluble (in water) and relatively neutral molecule. Within the cell, mangostanol is primarily located in the membrane (predicted from logP). Outside of the human body, mangostanol can be found in fruits and purple mangosteen. This makes mangostanol a potential biomarker for the consumption of these food products.
