Uses of Mango Leaves,Seeds and Bark.

The mango is the most popular fruit of the tropics and is called 'The King of Asiatic fruits'. It is regarded as a valuable item of diet and a household remedy. The mango is fleshy drupe, variable in size and shape, with varying mixtures of green, yellow and red color. The mango is indigenous to India. It has been cultivated here for over 4000 years. In vedas, mango is praised as a heavenly fruit. Ayurveda considers ripe mango sweet and heating. It balances all the three doshas and acts as an energizer. Green, unripe mango is also used in Indian cooking. Several varieties are especially cultivated for using raw. Green mango could be picked long before ripening while it is still hard. The fruit is grated and added to dhals and vegetables, or made into chutneys and pickles. The ayurvedic qualities of green mango are sour, astringent and cooling. They should not be eaten alone or in large quantities because they can aggravate the doshas, especially Pitta dosha. However, prepared ayurvedically, in combination with spices, for example in a chutney, they help digestion and improve the flavor of food. Diabetes: The tender leaves of the mango tree are considered useful in diabetes. An infusion is prepared from fresh leaves by soaking them overnight in water and squeezing them well in water before filtering it in the morning. This infused water should be taken every morning to control early diabetes. As an alternative to infusion. Leaves can be dried in the shade, powdered and preserved. Half a teaspoonful of this powder should be taken twice a day, in the morning and evening. Diarrhea: The mango seeds are valuable in diarrhea. The seeds should be collected during the mango season, dried in the shade and powdered and stored for use as medicine. It should be given in doses of about one and a half gram to two grams with or without honey. Juice of fresh flowers when taken with one or two teaspoonful of curds, is also valuable in diarrhea.

Female Disorders:

Mango seeds are considered useful in certain disorders connected with womens reproductive organs. A teaspoonful, of the paste of the decorticated kernel of mango is applied inside the vagina to cure leucorrhoea, Vaginitis, and relaxed walls due to multiple pregnancies. Its use half an hour before conjugal union gives a virgin feeling and acts as a safe contraceptive. This has been tried many times with gratifying results. Juice of the fresh mango bark is also valuable in heavy bleeding during menstruation, i.e. menorrhagia, leucorrhoea, mucus and pus discharges from the uterus and bleeding or haemorrhages from uterus. The juice is given with the addition of white of an egg or some mucilage-a kind of vegetable glue obtained from plant and a little opium in these diseases. In the alternative, a mixture of 10 ml. of a fluidextract of the bark and 120 ml. of water is given in doses of a teaspoonful every hour or two. Other Uses: Seed kernels:After soaking and drying to 10% moisture content, the kernels are fed to poultry and cattle. Without the removal of tannins, the feeding value is low. Cuban scientists declare that the mineral levels are so low mineral supplementation is needed if the kernel is used for poultry feed, for which purpose it is recommended mainly because it has little crude fiber. Seed fat:Having high stearic acid content, the fat is desirable for soap-making. The seed residue after fat extraction is usable for cattle feed and soil enrichment. Bark:The bark possesses 16% to 20% tannin and has been employed for tanning hides. It yields a yellow dye, or, with turmeric and lime, a bright rose-pink. Gum:A somewhat resinous, red-brown gum from the trunk is used for mending crockery in tropical Africa. In India, it is sold as a substitute for gum arabic.

Medicinal Uses:Dried mango flowers, containing 15% tannin, serve as astringents in cases of diarrhea, chronic dysentery, catarrh of the bladder and chronic urethritis resulting from gonorrhea. The bark contains mangiferine and is astringent and employed against rheumatism and diphtheria in India. The resinous gum from the trunk is applied on cracks in the skin of the feet and on scabies, and is believed helpful in cases of syphilis. Mango kernel decoction and powder (not tannin-free) are used as vermifuges and as astringents in diarrhea, hemorrhages and bleeding hemorrhoids. The fat is administered in cases of stomatitis. Extracts of unripe fruits and of bark, stems and leaves have shown antibiotic activity. In some of the islands of the Caribbean, the leaf decoction is taken as a remedy for diarrhea, fever, chest complaints, diabetes, hypertension and other ills. A combined decoction of mango and other leaves is taken after childbirth." Mango is considered the undisputed and uncrowned king of all fruits. Mango is found all over India and many regions of the world. Mango's taste is sweet and little sour and is very nourishing. Mango is mentioned in ancient scripts for its great nutritive value. Raw Mango is

sour and stringent ripe Mango is extremely tasty and nutritive. According to Hakeem Hashmi, reputed unani physician, a normal size Mango is more nourishing for the human body than butter or almonds. It strengthens and invigorates all the nerves tissues, muscles in the brain, heart and other parts of the body. It cleans the body of the filth within and is an ideal antidote for all toxic effects inside the body. Mango also provides sufficient resistance to fight any gems and afflictions. Every part of Mango tree root stems barks the blossoms; raw and ripe Mango and seeds all have curative and medicinal properties. Curative Properties of Mango: Taking Mango pulp mixed in milk or drinking milk after eating Mango imparts energy, strength and vigour to the body. Drinking Mango juice regularly in the evening eliminates physician weakness and improves nervous system.

Mental Weakness:Taking half cup sweet Mango juice with 25 grams curd and itsp. Ginger juice 2 or 3 times a day controls loose motions. Boil 20 grams powder of Mango bark in a litter of water and reduce it to 250 gram. Taking this decoction with 1 gram of black salt cures diarrhoea. Dysentery:Taking half teaspoon of ground powder of Mango leaves dried in shade with water 2 or 3 times a day stops dysentery. Teeth Problems:Using the powder of dried Mango seeds as tooth paste, strengthens the gums and helps in curing dental problems foul smell pyorrhoea. Beauty Aids:Taking Mango regularly makes the complexion fair and skin soft and shining. Gall and Kidney Stones:Taking 10 grams, finely ground powder of Mango leaves (dried in shade) with water (kept in a glass tumbler overnight) daily helps in breaking the stones and throwing them out. Diabetes:Taking Mango juice and Jamun juice in equal proportion is good in controlling diabetes. Children's Eating Soil:Feeding the powder of dried kernel of Mango seeds with fresh water cures the habit of eating soil in kinds. Fever:Paste of Mango roots applied on palms and soles cures fever.

Fire Burns:Burnt ashes of Mango leaves, applied on the burnt parts give quick relief. Dry Cough:Roast a ripe Mango on hot sand in a pan. Sucking the juice of this Mango eliminates all the bronchial congestion and gives relief in cough.

Food Uses of Mango: Mangos should always be washed to remove any sap residue, before handling. Some seedling mangos are so fibrous that they cannot be sliced; instead, they are massaged, the stem-end is cut off, and the juice squeezed from the fruit into the mouth. Non-fibrous mangos may be cut in half to the stone, the two halves twisted in opposite directions to free the stone which is then removed, and the halves served for eating as appetizers or dessert. Or the two "cheeks" may be cut off, following the contour of the stone, for similar use; then the remaining side "fingers" of flesh are cut off for use in fruit cups, etc. Most people enjoy eating the residual flesh from the seed and this is done most neatly by piercing the stem-end of the seed with the long central tine of a mango fork, commonly sold in Mexico, and holding the seed upright like a lollypop. Small mangos can be peeled and mounted on the fork and eaten in the same manner. If the fruit is slightly fibrous especially near the stone, it is best to peel and slice the flesh and serve it as dessert, in fruit salad, on dry cereal, or in gelatin or custards, or on ice cream. The ripe flesh may be spiced and preserved in jars. Surplus ripe mangos are peeled, sliced and canned in sirup, or made into jam, marmalade, jelly or nectar. The extracted pulpy juice of fibrous types is used for making mango halva and mango leather. Sometimes corn flour and tamarind seed jellose are mixed in. Mango juice may be spray-dried and powdered and used in infant and invalid foods, or reconstituted and drunk as a beverage. The dried juice, blended with wheat flour has been made into "cereal" flakes, A dehydrated mango custard powder has also been developed in India, especially for use in baby foods.

Ripe mangos may be frozen whole or peeled, sliced and packed in sugar (1 part sugar to 10 parts mango by weight) and quick-frozen in moisture-proof containers. The diced flesh of ripe mangos, bathed in sweetened or unsweetened lime juice, to prevent discoloration, can be quickfrozen, as can sweetened ripe or green mango puree. Immature mangos are often blown down by spring winds. Half-ripe or green mangos are peeled and sliced as filling for pie, used for jelly, or made into sauce which, with added milk and egg whites, can be converted into mango sherbet. Green mangos are peeled, sliced, parboiled, then combined with sugar, salt, various spices and cooked, sometimes with raisins or other fruits, to make chutney; or they may be salted, sun-dried and kept for use in chutney and pickles. Thin slices, seasoned with turmeric, are dried, and sometimes powdered, and used to impart an acid flavor to chutneys, vegetables and soup. Green or ripe mangos may be used to make relish. In Thailand, green-skinned mangos of a class called "keo", with sweet, nearly fiberless flesh and very commonly grown and inexpensive on the market, are soaked whole for 15 days in salted water before peeling, slicing and serving with sugar.

Processing of mangos for export is of great importance in Hawaii in view of the restrictions on exporting the fresh fruits. Hawaiian technologists have developed methods for steam- and lyepeeling, also devices for removing peel from unpeeled fruits in the preparation of nectar. Choice of suitable cultivars is an essential factor in processing mangos for different purposes. The Food Research Institute of the Canada Department of Agriculture has developed methods of preserving ripe or green mango slices by osmotic dehydration, The fresh kernel of the mango seed (stone) constitutes 13% of the weight of the fruit, 55% to 65% of the weight of the stone. The kernel is a major by-product of the mango-processing industry. In times of food scarcity in India, the kernels are roasted or boiled and eaten. After soaking to dispel the astringency (tannins), the kernels are dried and ground to flour which is mixed with wheat or rice flour to make bread and it is also used in puddings. The fat extracted from the kernel is white, solid like cocoa butter and tallow, edible, and has been proposed as a substitute for cocoa butter in chocolate. The peel constitutes 20% to 25% of the total weight of the fruit. Researchers in India have shown that the peel can be utilized as a source of pectin. Average yield on a dry-weight basis is 13%. Immature mango leaves are cooked and eaten in Indonesia and the Philippines.

Health Benefits and Toxicity.:

Revered not only for their exotic sweetness and juicy quality, mangoes are known for their many health blessings. They contain an enzyme similar to papain in papayas, a soothing digestive aid. These proteolytic enzymes that break down proteins are effective meat tenderizers regularly used in tropical countries where mangoes are grown. The enzyme list continues with magneferin, katechol oxidase, and lactase that not only protect the mango from insects, but help humans by stimulating metabolism and purifying the intestinal

tract. Studies have shown that foods containing phenolic compounds have powerful antioxidant, anticancer, and anticardiovascular abilities. Mangoes possess the phenols quercetin, isoquercitfin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid, and methylgallat. In India mangoes are used as blood builders. Because of their high iron content they are suggested for treatment of anemia and are beneficial to women during pregnancy and menstruation. People who suffer from muscle cramps, stress, and heart problems can benefit from the high potassium and magnesium content that also helps those with acidosis. One lab test turned up rather startling results that raised mangoes to the "highest perch." Mango juice was poured into a test tube that contained viruses. Shortly, the viruses were destroyed. Cosmetic Uses:Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter is a material derived from Mango Seeds,it can remoisturizes and provides highly antioxidant actions, promotes skin regeneration and healing. Toxicity: The sap which exudes from the stalk close to the base of the fruit is somewhat milky at first, also yellowish-resinous. It becomes pale-yellow and translucent when dried. It contains mangiferen, resinous acid, mangiferic acid, and the resinol, mangiferol. It, like the sap of the trunk and branches and the skin of the unripe fruit, is a potent skin irritant, and capable of blistering the skin of the normal individual. As with poison ivy, there is typically a delayed reaction. Hypersensitive persons may react with considerable swelling of the eyelids, the face, and other parts of the body. They may not be able to handle, peel, or eat mangos or any food containing mango flesh or juice. A good precaution is to use one knife to peel the mango, and a clean knife to slice the flesh to avoid contaminating the flesh with any of the resin in the peel. The leaves contain the glucoside, mangiferine. In India, cows were formerly fed mango leaves to obtain from their urine euxanthic acid which is rich yellow and has been used as a dye. Since continuous intake of the leaves may be fatal, the practice has been outlawed. When mango trees are in bloom, it is not uncommon for people to suffer itching around the eyes, facial swelling and respiratory difficulty, even though there is no airborne pollen. The few pollen grains are large and they tend to adhere to each other even in dry weather. The stigma is small and not designed to catch windborne pollen. The irritant is probably the vaporized essential oil of the flowers which contains the sesquiterpene alcohol, mangiferol, and the ketone, mangiferone. Mango wood should never be used in fireplaces or for cooking fuel, as its smoke is highly irritant. Safety and Acute Toxicity:Mangiferin

LD50-Lethal dose,50 percent kill.Intraperitoneal.Rodent-rat.365mg/kg. Toxic Effects: details of toxic effects not reported other than lethal dose value. Reference:JPMSAE Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.(American Pharmaceutical Assoc.,2215 Constitution Ave.,NW,Washington,DC 20037)V.50-1961-Volume(Issue)/page/year: 61,1838,1972. LD50-Lethal dose,50 percent kill.Oral.Rodent-mouse.2300ug/kg. Toxic Effects: details of toxic effects not reported other than lethal dose value.