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The '''mango''' is a tropical fruit of the mango tree. Mangos belong to the genus ''Mangifera'' which consists of about 30 species of tropical fruiting [[tree]]s in the [[flowering plant]] family [[Anacardiaceae]]. The mango is native to Southern and Southeast Asia, but now also grows in Central and South America, Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mango.org/about/history.php |title=Mango History | publisher=National Mango Board}}</ref><ref>[http://www.fao.org/inpho/content/compend/text/Ch20sec1.htm Chapter 20: Mango]</ref>
The '''mango''' is a tropical fruit of the mango tree. Mangos belong to the genus ''Mangifera'' which consists of about 30 species of tropical fruiting [[tree]]s in the [[flowering plant]] family [[Anacardiaceae]]. Mango is native to [[India]].<ref name=Ensminger/> The mango tree originated in India and spread tp the tropical regions of the world.<ref name=Ensminger>Ensminger 1995: 651</ref>

Mangos retain a special significance in the culture of [[South Asia]]. It has been designated the "national fruit" of [[Pakistan]], [[India]], [[Bangladesh]] and [[Philippines]]. The leaves are ritually used for floral decorations at [[Hindu marriage]]s and religious ceremonies.
Mangos retain a special significance in the culture of [[South Asia]]. It has been designated the "national fruit" of [[Pakistan]], [[India]], [[Bangladesh]] and [[Philippines]]. The leaves are ritually used for floral decorations at [[Hindu marriage]]s and religious ceremonies.


Revision as of 10:09, 2 May 2008

This article is about the fruit. For other meanings of the word, please see mango (disambiguation).

Mango
Immature Black Mango fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Phylum:
Magnoliophyta
Class:
Magnoliopsida
Order:
Sapindales
Family:
Anacardiaceae
Genus:
Mangifera

Species

About 35 species, including:
Mangifera altissima
Mangifera applanata
Mangifera caesia
Mangifera camptosperma
Mangifera casturi
Mangifera decandra
Mangifera foetida
Mangifera gedebe
Mangifera griffithii
Mangifera indica
Mangifera kemanga
Mangifera laurina
Mangifera longipes
Mangifera macrocarpa
Mangifera mekongensis
Mangifera odorata
Mangifera pajang
Mangifera pentandra
Mangifera persiciformis
Mangifera quadrifida
Mangifera siamensis
Mangifera similis
Mangifera swintonioides
Mangifera sylvatica
Mangifera torquenda
Mangifera zeylanica

The mango is a tropical fruit of the mango tree. Mangos belong to the genus Mangifera which consists of about 30 species of tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. Mango is native to India.[1] The mango tree originated in India and spread tp the tropical regions of the world.[1] Mangos retain a special significance in the culture of South Asia. It has been designated the "national fruit" of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Philippines. The leaves are ritually used for floral decorations at Hindu marriages and religious ceremonies.

Etymology

The name mango is ultimately either from the Kodagu mange, the Malayalam manga, or the Tamil mangai, and was loaned into Portuguese in the early 16th century, and from Portuguese passed into English. The ending in -o appears in English and is of unclear origin.[2]

Description

Mango flowers


Mango trees (Mangifera indica) reach 35-40 m in height, with a crown radius of 10 m. The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, 15-35 cm long and 6-16 cm broad; when the leaves are young they are orange-pink, rapidly changing to a dark glossy red, then dark green as they mature. The flowers are produced in terminal panicles 10-40 cm long; each flower is small and white with five petals 5-10 mm long, with a mild sweet odor suggestive of lily of the valley. After the flowers finish, the fruit takes from three to six months to ripen.

The ripe fruit is variably colored yellow, orange and red, reddest on the side facing the sun and yellow where shaded; green usually indicates that the fruit is not yet ripe, but this depends on the cultivar. When ripe, the unpeeled fruit gives off a distinctive resinous slightly sweet smell. In the center of the fruit is a single flat, oblong seed (as big as a large stone) that can be fibrous or hairless on the surface, depending on cultivar. Inside the shell, which is 1-2 mm thick, is a paper-thin lining covering a single seed, 4-7 cm long, 3-4 cm wide, 1 cm thick. One variety, recently available in Hong Kong is quite large compared to common ones as shown in the photo below.

A mango (left) that is much larger than a common one (right).

Cultivation and uses

Mango is native to India.[1] The mango tree originated in India and spread tp the tropical regions of the world.[1] Mangoes have been cultivated in the Indian Subcontinent since 4000 BCE.[3] They reached East Asia by the between the 5th-4th century BCE. By the 10 century CE, they were taken to East Africa by the Persians.[3] Mangoes were subsequently introduced by the Europeans to Brazil, West Indies and the United states of America.[3]

The origins of mango are thought to have been from a plant that grows in Malaysia, India and Indonesia. It is probable that it was grown in southeast Asia before the seventh century, although the only references found are from Cambodia. During the Islamic Golden Age the plant was common in Oman. There are also references to it in Ferghana. The fourteenth century Muslim traveler, Ibn Battuta reported it at Mogadishu.[4]

The mango is now widely cultivated as a fruit tree in frost-free tropical and warmer subtropical climates throughout the Indian subcontinent, North, South and Central America, the Caribbean, south and central Africa, Australia and Southeast Asia. It is easily cultivated and there are now more than 1,000 cultivars, ranging from the "turpentine mango" (named for its strong taste of turpentine, which according to the Oxford Companion to Food some varieties actually contain) to the huevos de toro (literally "eggs of the bull", a euphemism for "bull's testicles", referring to the shape and size).

The mango is a popular fruit with people around the world. However, many mango farmers receive a low price for their produce. This has led to mangoes being available as a fair trade item in some countries. Dwarf or semi-dwarf varities, such as Nam Doc Mai can be grown and will fruit in containers. They will need constant care and scale maybe bothersome.

The pigment euxanthin, usually known as Indian yellow, is often described as having been produced from the urine of cows fed on mango leaves; the practice is described as having been outlawed in 1908 after having been found to cause malnutrition in the cows.[5] However, Victoria Finlay[6] has shown that these descriptions of the pigment's origin all rely on a single anecdotal source, that there exist no other records of the pigment being produced in such a fashion, and that Indian legal records do not mention any such practice ever being outlawed. As such, the viability of the pigment's production from mango-leaf-fed cows is unknown.

Mango tree with flowers

Diseases

Main article: List of mango diseases

Usage as food

The fruit flesh of a ripe mango is very sweet, with a unique taste. The texture of the flesh varies markedly between different cultivars; some have quite a soft and pulpy texture similar to an over-ripe plum, while others have a firmer flesh much like that of a cantaloupe or avocado, and in some cultivars the flesh can contain fibrous material. Mangos are very juicy; the sweet taste and high water content make them refreshing to eat.

File:Mango Powder.JPG
A pack of amchur (or mango powder)

Mangos are widely used in chutney, which in the West is often very sweet, but in the Indian subcontinent is usually made with sour, raw mangoes and hot chilis or limes. In India, ripe mango is often cut into thin layers, desiccated , folded, and then cut and sold as bars that are very chewy. These bars, known as amavat or halva in Hindi, are similar to dried guava fruit bars available in Colombia. In many parts of India, people eat squeezed mango juice (called Ras), the thickness of which depends on the type of mango, with variety of bread items and is part of the meal rather than a dessert. Many people like to eat unripe mangoes (which are extremely sour; much more than lemon) with salt, and in regions where food is hotter, with salt and chili.

In Kerala, ripe mango (also ripe jackfruit) is used as a vegetable in the preparation of a dish called mambazha kaalan.

The fruit is also widely used as a key ingredient in a variety of cereal products, in particular muesli and oat granola.

In the Philippines, unripe mango is eaten with bagoong. Dried strips of sweet, ripe mangoes have also gained popularity both inside and outside the country, with those produced in Cebu making it to export markets around the world. Guimaras island is also a major producer of mangoes in the Philippines, with a local variety that is reputed to be the sweetest among mango varieties.

In other parts of South-east Asia, mangoes are very popular pickled with fish sauce and rice vinegar.

Freshly harvested mangoes and bananas at a fruit stand on the island of Maui, Hawaii

Mango is also used to make juices, both in ripe and unripe form. Pieces of fruit can be mashed and used in ice cream; they can be used in pies; or blended with milk and ice to make thick milkshakes. In Thailand and other South East Asian countries, sweet glutinous rice is flavoured with coconut then served with sliced mango on top as a dessert.

Dried unripe mango used as a spice and is known as amchur (sometimes spelled amchoor) in India and ambi in Urdu. Aam is a Hindi/Urdu word for mango.

Note: The Sweet Bell Pepper (capsicum) was once known as mango in parts of the midwestern United States[7] With the advent of fresh fruit importers exposing individuals to the tropical fruit, the colloquial use of this alternative name for the Sweet Bell Pepper has become archaic, although occasionally midwestern menus will still offer stuffed mangoes as an entree.

Nutrient and antioxidant properties

An excellent overall nutritional source, mango is rich in dietary fiber and carbohydrates.[8] It contains diverse essential vitamins and minerals, many of which are particularly high in content. The antioxidant vitamins A, C and E comprise 25%, 76% and 9%, respectively, of the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) in a 165 g serving. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, 11% DRI), vitamin K (9% DRI), other B vitamins and essential nutrients such as potassium, copper and 17 amino acids are at good levels. Mango peel and pulp contain other phytonutrients, such as carotenoids, polyphenols, and omega-3 and -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Usually discarded as waste, mango peel has considerable potential as an antioxidant food source.[9][10][11] Antioxidants of the peel and pulp include numerous carotenoids,[12] polyphenols,[13][14] such as quercetin, kaempferol, gallic acid, caffeic acid, catechins, tannins, and the unique mango xanthone, mangiferin,[15] any of which may counteract free radicals in various disease mechanisms as revealed in preliminary research.[16][17] Up to 25 different carotenoids have been isolated from mango pulp, the densest content for which was beta-carotene accounting for the yellow-orange pigmentation of most mango species.[18]

The mango triterpene, lupeol, is an effective inhibitor in laboratory models of prostate and skin cancers.[19][20][21] An extract of mango branch bark called Vimang, isolated by Cuban scientists, contains numerous polyphenols with antioxidant properties in vitro[22] and on blood parameters of elderly humans.[23]

In the same plant family as poison sumac, mango's peel also contains the oil, urushiol, possibly eliciting a skin rash called urushiol-induced contact dermatitis.

Mango is recognized in the Muslim world as a possible supplement for sexual potency.[24]

Mango, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy272 kJ (65 kcal)
17.00 g
Sugars14.8 g
Dietary fiber1.8 g
0.27 g
.51 g
Vitamins and minerals
VitaminsQuantity
%DV†
Vitamin A equiv.
4%
38 μg
4%
445 μg
Thiamine (B1)
5%
0.058 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
4%
0.057 mg
Niacin (B3)
4%
0.584 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
3%
0.160 mg
Vitamin B6
8%
0.134 mg
Folate (B9)
4%
14 μg
Vitamin C
31%
27.7 mg
MineralsQuantity
%DV†
Calcium
1%
10 mg
Iron
1%
0.13 mg
Magnesium
2%
9 mg
Phosphorus
1%
11 mg
Potassium
5%
156 mg
Zinc
0%
0.04 mg
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[25] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[26]

Nutrient data in the text are for a 165 g serving as presented by Nutritiondata.com whereas the table presents data for a 100 g serving.

Production and consumption

A mango cut using the "hedgehog" method

Approximately 50% of all tropical fruits produced worldwide are mangoes. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates worldwide production of mangoes at more than 23 million tons in 2001.[27] With 10 million tons, India accounts for almost half of the world production, followed by China (3 million tons), Mexico (1.5 million tons) and Thailand (1.35 million tons). The aggregate production of 10 countries is responsible for roughly 80% of the entire world mango production.

Alphonso, Benishan or Benishaan (Banganpalli in Telugu and Tamil) and Kesar mango varieties are considered among the best mangoes in India. Commonly exported, the Alphonso cultivar is grown exclusively in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. Alphonso is named after Afonso De Albuquerque who reputedly brought the drupe on his journeys to Goa.[citation needed] The locals took to calling this Aphoos in Konkani and in Maharashtra the pronunciation got further corrupted to Hapoos. This variety then was taken to the Konkan region of Maharashtra and other parts of India. Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka states in the south, Gujarat in western India, and Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the north are major producers of mangoes harvested especially to make spicy mango pickles having regional differences in taste.

Generally, once ripe, mangoes have an orange-yellow or reddish peel and are juicy for eating while those intended for export are often picked while under-ripe with green peels. Although producing ethylene while ripening, unripened exported mangoes do not have the same juiciness or flavor as fresh fruit.

A woman selling mangoes in Venezuela
Native green mangoes from the Philippines

Mangoes are popular throughout Latin America. In Mexico, sliced mango is eaten with chili powder and/or salt. Street vendors sometimes sell whole mangoes on a stick, dipped in the chili-salt mixture. In Indonesia, green mango is sold by street vendors with sugar and salt and/or chili, or used in a sour salad called rujak or rojak in Malaysia and Singapore. Ayurveda considers ripe mango sweet and heating, balancing all three doshas (humors), while also providing energy. Powdered raw mango is sometimes a condiment in various cuisines.

Cultivars

Main article: List of mango cultivars

Many hundreds of named mango cultivars exist. In mango orchards, several cultivars are often intermixed to improve cross-pollination.

In Maharashtra, the most common cultivar is Alphonso known in Asia under its original name, Hapoos. Popular outside the Indian subcontinent, Alphonso is an important export product.

Other popular cultivars include

Notably,cultivars which excel in one climate fail to achieve elsewhere. The cultivar Julie, a Jamaican favorite, and Alphonso have not been successfully grown in Florida.

Currently, the world market is dominated by the cultivar Tommy Atkins, a seedling of Haden which first fruited in 1940 in southern Florida, USA. Despite being initially rejected commercially by Florida researchers[citation needed], Tommy Atkins is now a favorite worldwide. For example, 80% of mangos in UK supermarkets are Tommy Atkins. Despite its fibrous flesh and fair taste, growers world-wide have embraced the cultivar for its exceptional production and disease resistance, the shelf-life of its fruit, their transportability as well as size and appealing color. Tommy Atkins is predominant in the USA as well, although other cultivars, such Kent, Keitt, the Haitian grown Madame Francis and the Mexican grown Champagne are widely available.

In urban areas of southern Florida, small gardens, or lack thereof, have fueled the desire for dwarf mango trees. The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has promoted "condo mangos" which produce at a height below 2-2.5 m.[citation needed]

A list of additional leading cultivars can be found at the cultivar list in the external links below.

There is an Australian variety of mango known as R2E2, a name based on the orchard row location of the original plant.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Ensminger 1995: 651
  2. ^ Oxford English Dictionary mango, n. 1
  3. ^ a b c Ensminger 1994: 1373
  4. ^ Watson, Andrew. Agricultural innovation in the early Islamic world. Cambridge University Press. p.72-3
  5. ^ History of Indian yellow
  6. ^ Color: A Natural History of the Palette, Random House, 2004
  7. ^ Merriam-Webster Dictionary Definition.
  8. ^ Nutrient profile for mango, Nutritiondata.com
  9. ^ Mango peel extract shows functional food potential
  10. ^ Rocha Ribeiro SM, Queiroz JH, Lopes Ribeiro de Queiroz ME, Campos FM, Pinheiro Sant'ana HM. Antioxidant in mango (Mangifera indica L.) pulp. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2007 Mar;62(1):13-7.[1]
  11. ^ Ajila CM, Prasada Rao UJ. Protection against hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative damage in rat erythrocytes by Mangifera indica L. peel extract. Food Chem Toxicol. 2008 Jan;46(1):303-9.[2]
  12. ^ Gouado I, Schweigert FJ, Ejoh RA, Tchouanguep MF, Camp JV. Systemic levels of carotenoids from mangoes and papaya consumed in three forms (juice, fresh and dry slice). Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;61(10):1180-8.[3]
  13. ^ Mahattanatawee K, Manthey JA, Luzio G, Talcott ST, Goodner K, Baldwin EA. Total antioxidant activity and fiber content of select Florida-grown tropical fruits. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Sep 20;54(19):7355-63.[4]
  14. ^ Singh UP, Singh DP, Singh M, Maurya S, Srivastava JS, Singh RB, Singh SP. Characterization of phenolic compounds in some Indian mango cultivars. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2004 Mar;55(2):163-9.[5]
  15. ^ Andreu GL, Delgado R, Velho JA, Curti C, Vercesi AE. Mangiferin, a natural occurring glucosyl xanthone, increases susceptibility of rat liver mitochondria to calcium-induced permeability transition. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2005 Jul 15;439(2):184-93.[6]
  16. ^ Percival SS, Talcott ST, Chin ST, Mallak AC, Lounds-Singleton A, Pettit-Moore J. Neoplastic transformation of BALB/3T3 cells and cell cycle of HL-60 cells are inhibited by mango (Mangifera indica L.) juice and mango juice extracts. J Nutr. 2006 May;136(5):1300-4.[7]
  17. ^ Rodríguez J, Di Pierro D, Gioia M, Monaco S, Delgado R, Coletta M, Marini S. Effects of a natural extract from Mangifera indica L, and its active compound, mangiferin, on energy state and lipid peroxidation of red blood cells. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2006 Sep;1760(9):1333-42.[8]
  18. ^ Chen JP, Tai CY, Chen BH. Improved liquid chromatographic method for determination of carotenoids in Taiwanese mango (Mangifera indica L.). J Chromatogr A. 2004 Oct 29;1054(1-2):261-8. [9]
  19. ^ Prasad S, Kalra N, Singh M, Shukla Y. Protective effects of lupeol and mango extract against androgen induced oxidative stress in Swiss albino mice. Asian J Androl. 2008 Mar;10(2):313-8.[10]
  20. ^ Nigam N, Prasad S, Shukla Y. Preventive effects of lupeol on DMBA induced DNA alkylation damage in mouse skin. Food Chem Toxicol. 2007 Nov;45(11):2331-5.[11]
  21. ^ Saleem M, Afaq F, Adhami VM, Mukhtar H. Lupeol modulates NF-kappaB and PI3K/Akt pathways and inhibits skin cancer in CD-1 mice. Oncogene. 2004 Jul 1;23(30):5203-14. [12]
  22. ^ Rodeiro I, Cancino L, González JE, Morffi J, Garrido G, González RM, Nuñez A, Delgado R. Evaluation of the genotoxic potential of Mangifera indica L. extract (Vimang), a new natural product with antioxidant activity. Food Chem Toxicol. 2006 Oct;44(10):1707-13.[13]
  23. ^ Pardo-Andreu GL, Philip SJ, Riaño A, Sánchez C, Viada C, Núñez-Sellés AJ, Delgado R. Mangifera indica L. (Vimang) protection against serum oxidative stress in elderly humans. Arch Med Res. 2006 Jan;37(1):158-64.[14]
  24. ^ Sexual Etiquettes in Islam
  25. ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  26. ^ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  27. ^ Jedele S, Hau AM, von Oppen M. An analysis of the world market for mangoes and its importance for developing countries. Conference on International Agricultural Research for Development, 2003[15]

References

  • Ensminger, Audrey H. (1994). Foods and Nutrition Encyclopedia. CRC Press. p. 1373. ISBN 0849389801. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Ensminger, Audrey H. (1995). The Concise Encyclopedia of Foods & Nutrition. CRC Press. p. 651. ISBN 0849344557. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
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