Mangifera indica is a species of mango in the Anacardiaceae family. It is found in the wild in India and cultivated varieties have been introduced to other warm regions of the world. Mango is the national fruit of India, Philippines and Pakistan. It finds mention in the songs of 4th century CE Sanskrit poet, Kalidasa, prior to it is believed to have been tasted by Alexander (3rd century BCE) and Chinese pilgrim, Hieun Tsang (7th century CE). Mangiferin (a pharmacologically active flavonoid, a natural xanthone C-glycoside) is extracted from Mango at high concentrations from the young leaves (172 g/kg), bark (107 g/kg), and from old leaves (94 g/kg). Mangiferin shows an exceptionally strong antioxidant capacity. It has a number of pharmacological actions and possible health benefits. These include antidiabetic, antioxidant, antifungal, antimicrobal, antiinflamatory, antiviral, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, anti-allergic and anticancer activity.