Spondias - an underutilized potential fruit crop of West Bengal

K. Das, D. Roy, P. Nandi, S. Kundu, P. Dutta
Spondias (hog plum and great hog plum), underexploited members of the Anacardiaceae, are growing widely in India for its edible fruits. These deciduous species are tolerant to drought and growing abundantly as fence side trees in West Bengal. Fruits can be eaten fresh, cooked or made into value added products. Unripe fruits can be made into jelly, pickle, chutney or relishes or used for flavouring sauces, soups and stews. In some places young leaves are eaten raw or steamed as vegetable for eating with salted fish and rice. It may play a vital role in nutritional, neutraceutical and in economy of rural people, which has received little research attention. Fruits are reported to be rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and iron content. The fruits are used to treat heart ailments and urinary troubles and are used on wounds, sores and burns and for digestion. The bark is considered useful in dysentery and diarrhea and is also given to prevent vomiting. The root is considered useful in menstruation. The plant is reported to have anti-tubercular properties. So, there is great scope of increasing socio-economic status of rural and tribal people by exploiting these two species viz., Spondias pinnata (hog plum) and Spondias dulcis (great hog plum). Considering its importance, two species growing in West Bengal were reviewed with an objective of exploiting this crop.
Das, K., Roy, D., Nandi, P., Kundu, S. and Dutta, P. (2019). Spondias - an underutilized potential fruit crop of West Bengal. Acta Hortic. 1241, 51-56
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2019.1241.8
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2019.1241.8
underexploited, nutrional value, value addition, medicinal values, rural economy
English

Acta Horticulturae