Mangoes are full packed with vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants and contain like all fruits very few proteins, fats and calories.
Mangos contain also a lot of tryptophan, the precursor of the "happiness-hormone" serotonin. What is tryptophan. Tryptophan is one of the 20 standard amino acids, as well as an essential amino acid in the human diet. It is encoded in genetic code as the codon UGG.
Only the L-stereoisomer of tryptophan is used in structural or enzyme proteins, but the D-stereoisomer is occasionally found in naturally produced peptides (for example, the marine venom peptide contryphan). The distinguishing structural characteristic of tryptophan is that it contains an indole functional group.
Mango (Mangifera indica) has been proven to be a good complementary food for children of weaning age. It meets the vitamin and energy requirements of children of 6-24 months of age at three servings a day and at the FAO average breast-feeding frequency.
Mangiferin commonly used as antioxidant for medical purposes. Mangiferin from the leaves has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory, diuretic, chloretic and cardiotonic activities and displays a high antibacterial activity against gram positive bacteria.
It has been recommended as a drug in preventing dental plaques. Mangiferin shows antiviral effect against type I herpes simplex virus which could be useful in anti-herpes ointments.
The bark of the mango tree contains 16 - 20% tannin and also mangiferine. It acts ad stringent and is believed to possess a tonic action on the mucous membrane. It is anathematic, useful in hemoptysis, hemorrhage, nasal catarrh, diarrhea, ulcers, diphtheria, rheumatism and for lumbrici. It is also used in diphtheria and rheumatism.
Mangoes and Its Species
Mangoes and Its SpeciesMangoes belong to the genus of Mangifera. There are 1000 named mango species. Among them
- Mangifera acutigemma
- Mangifera altissima
- Mangifera andamanica
- Mangifera applanata
- Mangifera austro-indica
- Mangifera austro-yunnanensis
- Mangifera blommesteinii
- Mangifera bullata
- Mangifera caesia
- Mangifera camptosperma
- Mangifera campnospermoides
- Mangifera casturi
- Mangifera collina
- Mangifera decandra'
- Mangifera dewildei
- Mangifera dongnaiensis
- Mangifera flava
- Mangifera foetida
- Mangifera gedebe
- Mangifera gracilipes
- Mangifera griffithii
- Mangifera hiemalis
- Mangifera indica
- Mangifera kemanga
- Mangifera lalijiwa
- Mangifera laurina
- Mangifera longipes
- Mangifera macrocarpa
- Mangifera magnifica
- Mangifera mekongensis
- Mangifera minutifolia
- Mangifera monandra
- Mangifera nicobarica
- Mangifera odorata
- Mangifera orophila
- Mangifera pajang
- Mangifera paludosa
- Mangifera parvifolia
- Mangifera pedicellata
- Mangifera pentandra
- Mangifera persiciformis
- Mangifera quadrifida
- Mangifera rubropetala
- Mangifera rufocostata
- Mangifera siamensis
- Mangifera similis
- Mangifera sumbawaensis
- Mangifera superba
- Mangifera swintonioides
- Mangifera sylvatica
- Mangifera taipa
- Mangifera torquenda
- Mangifera transversalis
- Mangifera zeylanica
Most of the fruit trees that are commonly known as mangos belong to the species Mangifera indica. The other edible Mangifera species generally have lower quality fruits and are commonly referred to as wild mangos.
The plant can reach 35 – 40 m in height, with a crown radius of 10 m. The leaves are ever green and dark green when matured.
The ripe fruit is variable in size and color, such as yellow, orange, and red or purple. Often red on the side facing the sun and yellow were shaded, a mango that us green usually indicates unripe fruit, but this depends on the cultivar.Mango flowers are visited by fruit bats, flies, wasps, wild bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, ants and various bugs seeking the nectar and some transfer the pollen but a certain amount of self-pollination also occurs. Honeybees do not especially favor mango flowers and it has been found that effective pollination by honeybees would require 3 to 6 colonies per acre (6-12 per ha). Many of the unpollinated flowers are shed or fail to set fruit, or the fruit is set but is shed when very young. Heavy rains wash off pollen and thus prevent fruit setting. Some cultivars tend to produce a high percentage of small fruits without a fully developed seed because of unfavorable weather during the fruit-setting period.
Mangoes and Its Species