CISH developing ‘healthier’ mango varieties

: Experts at Central Institute of Subtropical horticulture (CISH) are developing mango varieties which not just look and taste good but also have bio-active compounds which provide an array of health benefits for humans

: Experts at Central Institute of Subtropical horticulture (CISH) are developing mango varieties which not just look and taste good but also have bio-active compounds which provide an array of health benefits for humans.

HT Image

According to experts, while the king of fruits is known for its luscious taste and rich texture, it is not the first choice health wise.

“The traditional mango varieties have very less concentration of bio active compounds which are known for their health effects. The institute has taken up this challenge of making native mango varieties healthier,” said Shailendra Rajan, director of Lucknow-based CISH.

“On conducting studies and medical researchers on mango, we came to the conclusion that besides being a good source of Vitamin A, the fruit contains bio actives mangiferin and lupeol, two important components which have anti-cancer and healthy-heart properties. But these compounds are found in traces in different combinations in different varieties. We are trying to increase the presence of these compounds and make their presence uniform in known mango varieties,” explained the director.

The experts at CISH have examined the composition of over 100 mango varieties found across the country to gauge the amount of bio actives. After identification of bio active compounds, the experts are in the process of developing hybrid mango variety with optimal amount of bio actives.

“CISH has one of the world’s most diverse collection of mango varieties. We are in the process of developing hybrid varieties fortified with bio active compounds. It is a gradual process which takes time, but we are dedicated to develop a mango variety which is healthier than existing ones,” said Rajan.

The institute is also working towards extracting bio active compounds from mango peels and to make products that can be consumed by people.

Experts at CISH were earlier tasked with developing red-colored varieties in order to tap into the export market, which was dominated by red coloured mangoes from Brazil and other Latin American countries at the time. Almost a decade ago, only red-colored mangoes were known to the consumers in the United States and Europe.

“The red colour of the fruit was the target trait for breeding, but as people became more aware of the medicinal properties due to presence of bioactive compounds, a new focus on developing bioactive compounds rich varieties has emerged. Our efforts are to keep the country among the front runners for having healthier variety of mangoes,” said Rajan.