Nutraceutical and Medicinal Potential of Underutilized Fruits in India

India possesses a remarkable diversity of indigenous and underutilized fruit crops that have traditionally formed an important component of rural diets, indigenous healthcare systems and local economies. Despite their nutritional richness and adaptability to diverse agro-climatic conditions, many of these fruits remain confined to specific geographical regions and are cultivated or collected largely for local consumption. Aonla, bael, ber, phalsa, karonda, jamun, wood apple and tamarind and other underutilized fruits i.e. lasoda, chironji etc. represent important examples. These fruits contain appreciable quantities of vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and diverse phytochemicals, including phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, anthocyanins, terpenoids, alkaloids and other secondary metabolites. Several investigations have demonstrated antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective and other pharmacological activities, although the strength of evidence varies substantially among species and between experimental models. Their nutritional and bioactive attributes provide a scientific basis for their development as functional foods, nutraceutical ingredients and value-added products. However, inadequate domestication, limited systematic cultivation, high perishability of several fruits, lack of standardized postharvest practices, insufficient processing infrastructure, weak market linkages and inadequate clinical validation restrict their wider utilization. This review critically examines the taxonomy, nutritional composition, antioxidant and medicinal potential, traditional uses and value-addition opportunities of selected underutilized fruits of India. Conservation of genetic resources, systematic characterization of bioactive compounds, standardization of processing technologies, assessment of bioavailability and well-designed human studies are identified as major research priorities for transforming these neglected fruit resources into commercially viable nutraceutical and functional-food resources.

Download this article as