Bael or Aegle marmelos Corrêa is considered a sacred tree by Hindus and is offered to Lord Shiva while worshipping. It grows in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia and is called by various names in different regions. Bael has been used as a traditional medicine in India and other Southeast Asian countries to treat various ailments, including diarrhea, chronic dysentery, constipation, gonorrhea, catarrh, diabetes, deafness, inflammations, ulcerated intestinal mucosa, intermittent fever, melancholia, heart palpitation, and also to control fertility. The ethnomedicinal properties of Bael are owing to its ability to synthesize alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, anthocyanins, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, terpenoids, tannins, lignins, quinones, coumarins, proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids, reducing sugars, fats, and oils. The aegeline, auroptene, umbelliferone, psoralene, marmin, imperatorin, xylorhamnoarabinogalactan I pectic polysaccharide and skimmianine are synthesized by different parts of Bael, and they have shown antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-allergic, anthelmintic, antidiabetic, anticancer, cardioprotective and neuroprotective activities in various experimental models. The present review has been written consulting various publications, and different websites including Google Scholar, Pubmed, ScienceDirect, and Google.
Mangifera indica L. (Mango, Anacardiaceae) is a popular tropical evergreen tree known for its nutritional and medicinal values. It is native to India and Southeast Asia and is known as the “king of fruits” in India and the Philippines. It is considered important in Ayurveda and other systems of medicine. Mango fruit is unique in its taste, colour, aroma, and nutritional qualities. Mangoes are a rich source of polyphenols (Mangiferin, Gallotannins, Quercetin, Isoquercetin, Ellagic acid, Glucogallin, Kaempferol, Catechins, Tannins, and the unique Xanthonoid), phenolic acids (Hydroxybenzoic acids- Gallic, Vanillic, Syringic, Protocatechuic, and p-Hydroxybenzoic acids, Hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives-p-Coumaric, Chlorogenic, Ferulic, and Caffeic acids), flavonoids (β-carotene, α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and Lutein), Vitamin A, Vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), Vitamin-C, Vitamin-E, Carbohydrates, Amino acids, Organic acids, micronutrients (Potassium, Copper), fats (Omega-3 and 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids), dietary fibre and certain volatile compounds. About 25 different types of carotenoids have been isolated from the fruit pulp, which contributes to the colour of the fruit. Phytochemical and nutrient content may vary depending on the cultivar. Mangoes possess potential medicinal properties such as antioxidant, gastro-protective, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, immunomodulatory, anti-microbial, and many more. Mango fruit is an abundant source of all essential nutrients and phytochemicals; it could be ultilized as a nutritional supplement in the prevention and cure of several diseases. A comprehensive report on the nutritional and medicinal properties of fruit is presented below.
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