Less known fruits with medicinal value

INDIA HOLDS a unique position by growing a number of fruits. Bael (Aegel marmelos) is a fruit tree of India origin. This fruit is not grown as a commercial fruit crop and is found scattered all over the country.

Curative properties of bael fruit tree make the tree a useful medicinal plants of India. The unripe fruits are astringent and are prescribed in cases of diarrhoea and dysentry. The ripe fruit is sweet, aromatic nutritious and very palatable.

Custard apple (Annona squamosa) is another delicious fruit. The ripe fruits are rich in sugar. When subjected to heat treatment, the fruit develops a bitter taste there by making the traditional method of preservation by heat unfeasible.

In order to preserve the pulp, it is essential to increase the concentration of sugar to 40 per cent by adding sugar, acidity to 1 per cent using citric acid with 0.1 per cent sodium benzoate and 50-100 ppm of sulphur dioxide.

This proportion is thoroughly mixed and then filled in dry, clean glass bottles or tin containers which are then vacuum sealed.

Jamun (Syzygium cumunii) is another popular fruit. Quality of pulp is quite varied depending on variety. Fruits are also very rich in iron and calorific value.

Ber (Zyzyphus mauritiana) fruits are eaten fresh as well as dried and processed in to delicious candy.

Wood apple (Feronia limonia) is a hardy tree. The ripe fruits contain sour, sweet aromatic pulp, which is about 70 per cent of total weight in which seeds are embedded.

This fruit is a rich source of riboflavin, acidity is about 2.3 per cent and sugar 7.2 per cent.

M. Marimuthu & A.S.Thirumaran

Agricultural College and Research Institute Madurai-625 104

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