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Mango

  • Synonyms
      Hindi- Aam , Sanskrit- Ambrah ,English – Mango, Tamil- Ambiram.
  • Biological Source
      Mangifera indica it has been an important herb in the Ayurvedic and indigenous medical systems for over 4000 years. Mangoes belong to genus Mangifera which consists of about 30 species of tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae.
  • Taxonomical Classification
    Kingdom Plantae
    Order Fabales
    Family Anacardiaceae
    Genus Mangifera
    Species M. indica

Distribution

From tropical Asia, mangoes were introduced to East Africa by Arab and Persian traders in the ninth to tenth centuries.The 14th-century Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta reported it at Mogadishu. It was spread further into other areas around the world during the Colonial Era. The Portuguese Empire spread the mango from their colony in Goa to East and West Africa. From West Africa, they introduced it to Brazil from the 16th to the 17th centuries. From Brazil, it spread northwards to the Caribbean and eastern Mexico by the mid to late 18th century. The Spanish Empire also introduced mangoes directly from the Philippines to western Mexico via the Manila galleons from at least the 16th century. Mangoes were only introduced to Florida by 1833.

Plant Description

Mango trees grow to 30–40 metres (98–131 feet) tall, with a crown radius of 10–15 m (33–49 ft). The trees are long-lived, as some specimens still fruit after 300 years.

In deep soil, the taproot descends to a depth of 6 m (20 ft), with profuse, wide-spreading feeder roots and anchor roots penetrating deeply into the soil. The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, 15–35 centimetres (6–14 inches) long, when the leaves are young they are orange-pink, rapidly changing to a dark, glossy red, then dark green as they mature. The flowers are produced in terminal panicles 10–40 cm each flower is small and white with five petals 5–10 millimetres , with a mild, sweet fragrance. Over 500 varieties of mangoes are known, many of which ripen in summer, while some give a double crop. The fruit takes four to five months from flowering to ripening.

The ripe fruit varies according to cultivar in size, shape, color, sweetness, and eating quality. Depending on the cultivar, fruits are variously yellow, orange, red, or green. The fruit has a single flat, oblong pit that can be fibrous or hairy on the surface and does not separate easily from the pulp. The fruits may be somewhat round, oval, or kidney-shaped, ranging from 5–25 centimetres (2–10 in) in length and from 140 grams (5 oz) to 2 kilograms (5 lb) in weight per individual fruit. The skin is leather-like, waxy, smooth, and fragrant, with colors ranging from green to yellow, yellow-orange, yellow-red, or blushed with various shades of red, purple, pink, or yellow when fully ripe.

Ripe intact mangoes give off a distinctive resinous, sweet smell. Inside the pit 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) thick is a thin lining covering a single seed, 4–7 cm (1.6–2.8 in) long. Mangoes have recalcitrant seeds which do not survive freezing and drying. Mango trees grow readily from seeds, with germination success highest when seeds are obtained from mature fruits.

Active constituent of Karanja

Parts Used Chemical Constituents Uses
Leaves Mangiferin, followed by phenolic acids, benzophenones, and other antioxidants such as flavonoids, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, and tocopherols. Antibacterial
Seed Mango seed kernels were shown to be a good source of polyphenols, phytosterols as campesterol, sitosterol and tocopherols. Antibacterial
Fruits Citric acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, succinic acid, ascorbic acid, and tartaric acid. Digestive ,Boosts immunity, rich in antioxidants , Vitamin A,C and anticancer .
Barks Flavonoids and flavonol constituents include quercetin, catachin and epicatechin Rich in antioxidants .

Uses

  • Nutrients present in Mango Mangoes are rich in mineral salts like potassium, magnesium, and copper. Apart from this, mango is also an excellent source of quercetin, beta-carotene, and astragalin. These powerful antioxidants have the ability to neutralize free radicals. In fact, these free radicals damage cells, causing cardiovascular diseases, premature aging, cancer, and degenerative diseases.
  • To reduce weight: Mango contains vitamin C and fiber, which helps in reducing extra body fat. The vitamin C present in mango improves metabolism by preventing the deposition of fat. Therefore, to lose weight, we should include mango in our daily life.
  • For digestion: Mango is beneficial for digestion and stomach problems like gas. Consumption of mango works to have a positive effect on the digestive system by stimulating the digestive juices, which improves the functioning of the digestive system.
  • For sore throat: Sore throat is a common problem due to changing weather or consuming cold and hot things. In such a situation, mango leaf can prove to be very beneficial because the anti-bacterial properties present in it work to remove sore throat and other throat-related disorders. For this, make a decoction of mango leaves, add a spoonful of honey, and drink it.
  • For immunity: Mangoes contain flavonoids and vitamin C that work by influencing the immune system. Apart from this, the anti-microbial properties present in mango help in keeping the body healthy by removing many types of bacteria.
  • To protect from heat: It protects the body from the hot air that runs in summer. Drinking ripe mango juice on a hot summer day can prevent the wrath of heat because it not only gives freshness to the body but also hydrates.
  • For Anemia: Not only mango, but mango flower is also beneficial in anemia because it is full of many nutritious elements. Vitamin C present in mango helps in the absorption of iron in the body and helps in relieving the problem of anemia.

Prepared by : Annpurna

Checked by : Mr. Sunil Patidar

Verified by : Dr. Mahavir Chhajed

For more details visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azadirachta_indica