Nutritional Composition of Four Underexploited Wild Fruits in Mali

Malnutrition and food insecurity are major concerns for the Malian authorities. The objective of this study was to strengthen the knowledge about the nutritional and physicochemical values of four underutilized edible wild fruits picked at two cities belonging to different bioclimatic zones of Mali. The physicochemical and nutritional parameters were performed using standard methods. The findings revealed that all these parameters varied from one fruit to another, this outcome could be associated with the provenances of the wild fruits (p-value < 0.05). The protein contents varied from 4.53 g/100g by dry matter (DM) for R. sudanica fruits to 5.34 g/100g DM for those of B. aegyptiaca, all these samples were being harvested from Sikasso. The highest concentrations of vitamins are C (150,800 to 151,000 μg/100g DM), E (1,310 to 1,350 μg/100g DM) and A (38 to 40 μg/100g DM) respectively for the fruits of Z. mauritiana, B. aegyptiaca and S. senegalensis. In addition, these fruits would constitute a potential source of minerals such as iron, phosphorus and calcium. Thereby, these fruits are promising raw materials to be used against the malnutrition linked to the micronutrients deficiencies and the management of certain pathologies related to oxidative stress.

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load of Juice from Edible Wild Fruits (Adansonia digitata, Tamarindus indica and Parkia biglobosa) Consumed in Cote d’Ivoire

The diabetes mellitus is a public health problem in C?te d’Ivoire. The Glycemic index (GI) and the Glycemic load (GL) determination of commonly consumed foods such as juice fruits is an alternative to prevent metabolic diseases. This study carried out three wild fruits locally named Baobab (Adansonia digitata), Tomi (Tamarindus indica) and Néré (Parkia biglobosa) collected at maturity stage. The juices from the pulp of fruits have been elaborated, pasteurized, submitted to microbiological and physicochemical analysis before GIs/GLs determination. Ten healthy subjects with body mass index and age average respectively 21.57 ± 1.06 and 28 ± 2 years old tested the three juices and glucose (50 g) as reference food. Blood samples have been collected at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min after foods consumption. The GIs/GLs has been determined according to ISO/FDI 26642:2010 protocol. Data showed that pasteurized juices has a weak microbiologic load (1.0102 - 2.4102 of Mesophylls Aerobic Germs) and not contain pathogen germs. The GI and GL of Néré juice are high with respective values of 89.54 ± 1.63 and 29.22 ± 4.09 whereas those of Baobab and Tomi juice are moderate with respective GI/GL values of 66.48 ± 2.12/13.24 ± 1.99 and 60.41 ± 2.63/12.87 ± 1.67. The juice of Néré should be consumed occasionally when those of Baobab and Tomi should be consumed with moderation. It would be suitable to know more about the GI and GL of all the juice fruits produced locally so as to prevent efficiently diabetes mellitus in the country.

Bioinventory and documentation of traditional ecological knowledge of wild edible fruits of Kodagu-Western Ghats, India

Forty-five species of wild edible fruits were identified and traditional local knowledge of their usage was recorded in 40 villages of Kodagu district in Central Western Ghats, India one of the eight top hotspots of biodiversity in the world. We combined biodiversity inven-tory of trees with village interviews to record traditional ecological knowledge. Wild edible fruits were an opportunistic source of food for rural people. Wild edible fruits were rich in minerals, vitamins, carbohy-drates, proteins, fats and fiber. In recent years there has been a decline in numbers of wild fruit trees due to changes in land use from uncultivated private wooded area to cardamom and coffee cultivation. The availability of wild edible fruits that were once very common on private cultivated areas has declined and their distributions are now restricted more to jungles and wildlife sanctuaries. We propose methods for conservation and describe the need for sustainable utilization to provide supplemen-tary sources of nutritional and pharmaceutically useful edible wild fruits.

Akebia ― a valuable wild fruit under domestication

Akebia is a wild fruit originating in the Yangtse river valley and the surrounding areas. It includes mainly three species （subspecies）： Akebia trifoliata, Akebia trifoliata subsp, australis, and Akebia quinata. It has many good traits, such as large fruit size, early fruit-setting and high yield, excellent eating quality, and good environmental adaptability. However, there are some shortcomings with the fruit, including thick skin, excessive number of seeds, and relatively small proportion of edible flesh. Akebia is also a traditional Chinese medicine, which has the functions of relieving internal heat and diuresis, dredging venation and improving blood circulation, cleansing facial chloasma, detoxication and anti-cancer activities. Akebia can be used as fresh fruit, for processing, and for pharmaceutical purposes. We have been undertaking a series of research on the domestication and utilization of Akebia, including cultivar selection, techniques for cultivation, storage and processing, and related basic studies. A Chinese trade name “Hehuanguo” and an English trade name “Joyfruit” have been registered for Akebia to facilitate its commercial development.

Community Characteristics of Wild Fruit Forests Along Elevation Gradients and the Relationships Between the Wild Fruit Forests and Environments in the Keguqin Mountain Region ofⅠii

In this paper,the quantitative relationship between the wild fruit communities and direct environmental factors is discussed on the basis of detailed data on landscape scale habitats obtained through field vegetation investigation.The results from TWINSPAN and DCCA showed that:1) In the distribution sections of the wild fruit forest in the Keguqin Mountain region,the basic patterns characteristic of the different habitats are due to topographic factors,nutrients and moisture conditions;2) The elevation affected the most basic differentiation of plant communities in the study area,indicating that the elevation condition was the most important factor restricting the distribution of the wild fruit communities in the study area;3) The close relationship between the moisture content in the upper soil layer and the elevation reflected the influence of moisture conditions on both wild fruit and herb-layer communities;4) Nutrient differences not only indicated that the habitat conditions were different in themselves but also showed that the present nutrient conditions of the habitats were seriously affected by human activities.In summary,under complicated mountainous topographic conditions,the habitat conditions for the communities differed very significantly,and the combination of elevation,soil moisture content,total nitrogen,slope aspect,and pH value influenced and controlled the formation of community distribution patterns in the study area.

Technical Regulations for Standardized Planting of Rare and Multi-purpose Wild Fruit Kadsura coccinea

The cultivation technology were standardized for improving the yield and quality,and the commodity value and the competitiveness of fruit market,and solving the bottleneck problem—fruit quality and yield that affect the industrial development of rare and multi-purpose wild fruit Kadsura coccinea(Lem.)A.C.Smith.Through the investigation of K.coccinea production area and planting area,collection and analysis of fruit samples,it was found that in most planting area,the varieties of K.coccinea were mixed,with great differences in fruit quality and yield,which makes it impossible to realize large-scale planting.In view of these problems,a series of studies have been carried out and the technical regulations for standardized planting of rare and multi-purpose wild fruit K.coccinea were formulated.

Vertical Zonation of Horticultural Farming in the Alaknanda Basin of Garhwal Himalaya, India

Horticultural practice in the Himalayas has great importance not only for economic development but also for environmental restoration. In the entire Himalayan mountain system, from Jammu and Kashmir Himalaya to Assam Himalaya, the practice of horticulture is centuries old, which includes varieties of fruits along with availability of high quality and quantity. In terms of the Alaknanda Basin, which is centrally located in the Himalayan system, the practice of horticulture does not get commercial level; only it is cultivated domestically. The climatic conditions ranging from sub-tropical (low-lying river valleys) to alpine and frigid (highly elevated regions) are suited for varieties of fruit cultivation, yet the benefit of this could not be utilized by the residents who are working in the agricultural fields. Besides, less proportion of land is devoted for fruit cultivation along with domestic production of fruits. The varieties of fruit cultivated in the basin range from mango-guava-papaya, stone-net, citrus to apple at the different elevations. Along with the cultivated fruits, varieties of wild fruits are also found in the jungle. There are four climatic zones suitable for the production of various fruits as below:? Sub-tropical zone including the lower part of the Alaknanda, Pindar, Nandakini, and Mandakini rivers is suitable for mango, guava, and papaya; ? Sub-temperate zone in the middle basin of the Alaknanda, Pindar, Nandakini and Mandakini rivers is a good place for citrus fruits, particularly orange and lemon; ? Temperate zone occupying the Dauli, Vishnu Ganga, Upper Pinder, Nandakini and Mandakini rivers is highly productive for apple, nut and stone fruits; ? Alpine meadows in the highly elevated region are known as Bugyal famous for herb culture. Each of these zones has distinct physical features, environmental conditions and socio-economic identity for fruit cultivation. The present paper aims to discuss about the vertical zonation of the horticultural farming and its nature, in terms of development, in the Alaknada Basin.

What are the common anthracnose pathogens of tropical fruits?

t Species of Colletotrichum are associated with anthracnose of a wide range of host plants including cultivated and wild tropical fruits.The genetic and ecological diversity of species associated with wild fruits are poorly explored,as compared to those associated with pre and postharvest diseases of cultivated fruits.In the present study,isolates of Colletotrichum were obtained from commercially available cultivated fruits,wild fruits(from native trees in natural habitats)and a few herbaceous hosts collected in northern Thailand.These isolates were initially characterized based on analysis of complete sequences of nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer(ITS),into the genetically defined species complexes of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides,C.acutatum,C.boninense and C.truncatum.The isolates were primarily identified in the C.gloeosporioides species complex,based on a strongly supported clade within the ITS gene tree and were further characterized using multi-gene phylogenetic analyses and morphology.Phylogenetic analyses of ITS,partial sequences of actin(ACT),calmodulin(CAL),glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase(GAPDH),glutamine synthetase(GS)andβtubulin(TUB2)genetic markers were performed individually and in combination.Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu stricto was identified from lime(Citrus aurantifolia)and rose apple(Syzygium samarangense).Colletotrichum fructicola was isolated from dragon fruit(Hylocerous undatus)and jujube(Ziziphus sp.).Colletotrichum endophytica was found only from an unknown wild fruit.We observed a considerable genetic and host diversity of species occurring on tropical fruits within the clade previously known as Colletotrichum siamense sensu lato.The clade consists of isolates identified as pre and postharvest pathogens on a wide range of fruits,including coffee(Coffea arabica),custard apple(Annona reticulata),Cerbera sp.,figs(Ficus racemosa)mango(Mangifera indica),neem(Azadirachta indica)and papaya(Carica papaya)and was the dominant group of species among most wild fruits studied.With the exception of one isolate from banana,which grouped in the C.siamense clade,all the other isolates were identified as Colletotrichum musae.A new species,Colletotrichum syzygicola,associated with Syzygium samarangense in Thailand,is introduced with descriptions and illustrations.This study highlights the need to re-assess the evolutionary relationships of Colletotrichum species occurring on cultivated and wild fruits with emphasis on their ecology and cryptic diversification including sampling at regional and global scales.