Morphological, nutritional and medicinal traits of wild mango (Mangifera Sylvatica Roxb.): Implications for increased use and options for cultivar development

Mangifera sylvatica Roxb. is an underutilised and threatened wild fruit species found in Bangladesh, which is highly valued by local people as a source of fruit and is an important source of nutrition. As part of a feasibility study of the domestication and cultivar development potential of M. sylvatica, a preliminary study examined the morphological traits (fruit, kernel and pulp mass), nutritional profile (carbohydrate, sugar, pH, fat, protein, mineral and vitamins) and medicinal traits (total phenolic and phenolic profiling). The fruit of M. sylvatica is small (27.00g ± 7.03g) with a comparatively bigger kernel fruit (40% of its body weight). M. sylvatica fruit pulp has been proved to be a good source of carbohydrate, Vitamin C, sodium (Na) and potassium (K) and also has good medicinal properties (mangiferin and quercetin). The kernel is also a rich source of carbohydrate and has a good fatty acid profile (rich in stearic and oleic acids) consistent with cocoa butter, which indicates its potential to be used in the chocolate and confectionery industry. There is continuous variation in these traits, indicating opportunities for multiple trait cultivar development targeted at the food and pharmaceutical industries. The information generated in the study can be used as a stimulus to the process of domestication and to encourage widespread use of the species, which will ultimately help to conserve this wild underutilised fruit species.