Mango: nutrition, bioactive compounds and use
Mango (Mangifera indica L.), called also the king of fruits, is known for its fantastic taste and aroma as well as high nutritional value (1). Its fruit (mango) is one of the most commercialised fruits around the world and the second most popular tropical crop, with a great variety of cultivars and food products, including drinks, juices, concentrates, jams etc. (2).
Nutrition and bioactive compounds
Mango pulp is a source of various reducing sugars, amino acids, aromatic and functional compounds, like pectin, vitamins, anthocyanins, high amounts of antioxidants (ascorbic acid) and polyphenols (carotene, as vitamin A) (1). Up to 25 different carotenoids have been isolated from the mango pulp, the densest being beta-carotene, which accounts for the yellow-orange pigmentation of most mango cultivars (3). The principal carbohydrates differ between unripe (green) and ripe mango (1).
Raw mango consists of 84% water, 15% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and has negligible fat (Table 1). Fresh mango contains vitamin C and folate in the significant amounts to fulfil 44% and 11% of the Daily Value, respectively (3). Phytochemical and nutrient content varies among mango cultivars (3).
The pulp is not the only nutritious source in the mango fruit. Dehydrated mango kernels have very high phenolics’ (309.66–535.16 mg GAE per 100 g of kernels) and antioxidant activity (5.00–27.28 μmol TE per gram) (5,6), higher than in the pulp and peels (1). Kernels are a rich source of potassium (519.0–912.4 mg/100g), magnesium (114.0–198.0 mg/100g), iron (3.8–12.8 mg/100g) and calcium (106.6–263.6 mg/100 g) (5,6). Mango kernel contains about 15% of a good quality edible oil, which is usually used without any processing as it is solid at the room temperature (melting point 32–36°C) (7). Palmitic, stearic and oleic acids are the major fatty acids, but 100 g of dry mango seed kernels contain also gallic acid (6.0 mg), cinnamic acid (11.2 mg), ferulic acid (10.4 mg), tannin (20.7 mg), mangiferin (4.2 mg), vanillin (20.2 mg) and caffeic acid (7.7 mg) (6,7). Total phenolic contents and induction period are greater than in many commercial vegetable oils. The oil can be thus be used as an alternative of synthetic antioxidants for the preservation of fats and oils (7).
Mango peels contain carotenoids, such as the provitamin A compound, alpha- and beta-carotene, lutein, and polyphenols, like quercetin, kaempferol, gallic acid, caffeic acid, catechins, magniferin and tannins (3). Many bioactive compounds in the peel, kernel and pulp are known for their antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties (1). Even mango leaves have significant polyphenol content, including xanthonoids, mangiferin and gallic acid (3).
Cultivation
Magnifera indica is a tropical, fruit-bearing tree, that can grow as high as 30 m (3). Mango fruits are mature in April and May (3). Mango farmers often practice grafting in order to ensure fruit production (8). The tree grows best in the well-drained sandy loam with pH between 5.2–7.5; it does not grow well in heavy wet soils (1,3). Weather factors like floods, rainfall, humidity, and temperature can influence tree growth, flowering, fruit growth, color and size (1). Temperature has the most important influence on the appearance, quality, and taste of the mango fruit: at higher temperature the fruit grows and matures faster (1). In addition, high-temperature-induced stress can trigger the synthesis of secondary metabolites, which are popular due to their nutritional and medicinal values (1).
Mango probably originated from the South and South-East Asia (3,8). Today, it is an important crop in the tropical regions throughout South America, Hawaii, Central America, Asia, the Caribbean, and Africa (8). Worldwide, there are several hundred cultivars of mango that produce mango fruits of various size, shape, sweetness, skin and flesh color which may be pale yellow, gold, green, or orange (3). There are many more varieties which are not commercially cultivated (1).
The waste generated during the mango processing (20 million tons) can be up to 60% of the fruit weight and consists mainly of peels (12%) and seeds (20%) (2). There are no clear policies for its disposal and reuse, nevertheless, biotechnology processing enables waste valorisation into valuable products, making it interesting for the industrial use and consequently mitigating the negative environmental impact (2).
Uses
Mango is one of the most commercialised tropical fruits and its core business is centred on the production of pulp-based products such as concentrates, juices, jams and fruit bars (2). Raw mangos can be used in the making of pickles and chutneys (3). Mango peel, a byproduct from the mango processing industry, is a potential source of food‐grade mango peel pectin (9). Mango seed kernels are processed into flour that can be combined with other flours for enhancing nutrition value of the products (6,10). It is utilised as a food preservative because it helps to increase the oxidative stability of food (6). Mango kernel is also a source of cooking oil (1).
In Africa, top mango producers are Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria, Niger, and Democratic Republic of the Kongo (8).
Sources
1. Lebaka V.R., Wee Y.J. , Ye W., Korivi M. (2021): Nutritional Composition and Bioactive Compounds in Three Different Parts
of Mango Fruit. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 18: 741; doi 10.3390/ijerph18020741
2. Tacias‑Pascacio V.G. Castañeda‑Valbuena D., Fernandez‑Lafuente R., Berenguer‑Murcia A., Meza‑Gordillo R., Gutiérrez L.F., Pacheco N., Cuevas‑Bernardino J.C., Ayora‑Talavera T. (2021): Phenolic compounds in mango fruit: a review. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization; doi 10.1007/s11694–021–01192–2
3. Mango, Wikipedia
4. FoodData Central, USDA: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169910/nutrients
5. Rudra S.G., Gundewadi G., Kaur C., Singh G. (2019): Exploring varietal differences in nutritional and antioxidant potential of mango kernel and its use for enrichment of pasta. Fruits 74(5), 227–235; DOI 10.17660/th2019/74.5.3
6. Kaur A., Kaur Brar J. (2017): Use of Mango Seed Kernels for the Development of Antioxidant Rich Biscuits. International Journal of Science and Research 6(8): 535; ISSN (Online): 2319–7064
7. Nadeem M., Imran M., Khalique A. (2016): Promising features of mango (Mangifera indica L.) kernel oil: a review. J Food Sci Technol 53(5):2185–2195; DOI 10.1007/s13197–015–2166–8
8. WorldAtlas (2018): The top mango producing countries in the world.
9. Wongkaew M., Kittiwachana S., Phuangsaijai N., Tinpovong B., Tiyayon C., Pusadee T., Chuttong B., Sringarm K., Bhat F.M., Sommano S.R., Cheewangkoon R. (2021): Fruit Characteristics, Peel Nutritional Compositions, and Their Relationships with Mango Peel Pectin Quality. Plants 10, 1148; doi: 10.3390/plants10061148
10. Mohd Isa N.S., MohdMaidin N., Hamzah Y., Madzuki I.N., Hamid M.A. (2021): Nutritional composition of dried noodle incorporated with Mango peel powder. Bioscience Research 18(SI-2): 68–80; Online ISSN: 2218–3973
