Mangosteen fruit could help to improve treatment for those living with bipolar disorder, new Deakin University research finds.
New research from Deakin University’s TRIALS team within the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) has revealed that mangosteen pericarp (an extract of the husk of the mangosteen fruit) may provide a new approach to treatment.
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mood disorder that causes extreme mood changes in affected individuals, who experience elevated emotional highs (manic episodes) and lows (depressive episodes).
This complex illness is typically treated with a combination of medication, psychotherapy, brain stimulation and lifestyle changes.
While these strategies help to manage the manic phase of the illness, the depressive phase of the illness is challenging to treat, significantly impacting the quality of daily life.
Despite these treatment options, a significant number of individuals have trouble recovering following a mood episode and subsequent treatment.
Around 40% of patients fail to respond to any of the typical mood stabilisers or antipsychotics.
Led by Professor Olivia Dean, this novel trial explored the potential of this natural compound to support individuals living with bipolar depression, who don’t fully respond to existing therapies.
Participants for the trial were recruited from four sites in Australia, including the Barwon Health Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol outpatient service.
“Our aim is to fill the gaps experienced by those who don’t feel as though they’re on a full recovery pathway,” said Prof. Dean.
The findings suggest that mangosteen pericarp may support standard therapies in providing a more complete personal recovery.
Participants receiving mangosteen pericarp showed greater improvements in mood, clinician-rated bipolar severity, and social functioning at 24 weeks, compared to those on the placebo.
“The improvement in primary symptoms were limited, partly because participants in the placebo group also showed positive changes – making it more challenging to show a clear difference between the groups.
“However, the trial found improvements in secondary outcomes, including mood and daily functioning.”
The effects were limited, with no impact on manic symptoms and overall quality of life. Improvements also faded after the treatment stopped.
Despite these limitations, IMPACT’s research marks an important step toward improving care for people living with bipolar disorder.
“This trial represents years of work by dedicated participants and staff all focused on improved treatment options and recovery pathways for people experiencing bipolar disorder, particularly the depressive phase.”
“Overall, I’m supportive of the data providing real world change to treatment options and further providing novel targets for new medication development.
“Additional studies and longer-term follow-up are important to see if benefits last and to better understand who might benefit most.
“Science is about making small gains and being open to scrutiny,” said Prof. Dean.
The research team will continue to explore the biological and secondary clinical outcomes to determine if mangosteen extract can reliably help people with bipolar depression.
This article was originally published in the Geelong Advertiser on Friday 8 August, 2025.
