Exploring the Nutritional Marvels of Mango Pulp

Mango, often hailed as the "king of fruits," offers a plethora of health benefits encapsulated within its luscious pulp. Beyond its delectable taste, mangoes emerge as nutritional powerhouses, capable of addressing a multitude of health concerns and promoting overall well-being.

Firstly, mangoes stand out for their remarkable iron content, making them indispensable for pregnant women and individuals grappling with anemia. Iron deficiency is a common concern during pregnancy and among those with anemia, and regular consumption of mangoes can serve as a natural remedy, replenishing iron stores and fostering healthy blood production.

Moreover, mangoes play a pivotal role in combating acidity and enhancing digestion. Enzymes present in mangoes aid in breaking down proteins, facilitating smoother digestion and alleviating discomfort associated with acidity, bloating, and indigestion, thus promoting gastrointestinal health.

Delving into their nutrient profile, mangoes emerge as abundant sources of essential vitamins, particularly Vitamin A and Vitamin E. These vitamins are integral for the efficient functioning of the hormonal system, regulating various physiological processes and supporting overall health and vitality.

Furthermore, mangoes boast the presence of selenium, a potent antioxidant that confers protection against heart disease. By neutralizing harmful free radicals, selenium helps safeguard cardiovascular health, reducing the risk of heart ailments and promoting a healthy heart.

In essence, the consumption of mango pulp transcends mere gustatory pleasure; it serves as a strategic investment in one's health. From fortifying iron levels and promoting digestive wellness to bolstering hormonal function and shielding against heart disease, mangoes emerge as indispensable allies in the pursuit of holistic well-being.
Exploring the Nutritional Marvels of Mango Pulp

Mango pulp

Mango is basically divided into three major parts such as exocarp (11-18%), mesocarp (60-73%) and endocarp (14-22%). The fruit is a laterally compressed, fleshy drupe, containing mesocarp (mango pulp). Its edible part is pulpy, firm to tender, and has its own characteristic flavor. The mango pulp is protected by a peel which, under normal temperature and pressure conditions, ensures perfect food safety.

Pulp extraction has been found to be one of the most efficient methods of fruit preservation. Mango pulp can be consumed freshly, blended with other juice to form fruit jams or it can be evaporated to form concentrates. These products have a great potential in beverage and other food industries for export and foreign exchange earnings.

Fully matured mangoes are harvested, quickly transported to the fruit processing plant, inspected and washed. Fully ripened mango fruits are then washed, blanched, pulped, deseeded, centrifuged, homogenized, concentrated when required, thermally processed and aseptically filled maintaining sterility.

The production of pulp requires extraction of juice with the crushing of membranes of the fruit which contains juice and then processing it to make it a thick paste.

The preparation process includes cutting, destoning, refining and packing. In case of aseptic product, the pulp is sterilized and packed in aseptic bags. The refined pulp is also packed in cans, hermetically sealed and retorted. Frozen pulp is pasteurized and deep-frozen in plate freezers.

Mango pulp preservation and storage is important for the industry for converting it into various products based on market demand.

Mango pulp retains most of the nutrients of fruit and thus preferred in various food and beverage products. Studies have reported that mango pulp and peel contain high dietary fiber (DF). DF plays an important role in many physiological processes in the prevention of illnesses such as constipation, hypertension, liver cirrhosis, diabetes, cancer, and others.

Pulp is used for the production of jams, marmalades, jellys, sweets, drinks and fillings of baked goods.
Mango pulp

Composition of mango pulp

The mango fruit has green color skin and turn to golden yellow when fully ripe. The flesh was golden yellow in color with soft fiber.

The mango pulp is protected by a peel which, under normal temperature and pressure conditions, ensures perfect food safety.

Mango is an excellent source of bioactive compounds such as provitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C and phenolics, as well as dietary fiber, essential to human nutrition and health. Moreover, mango is known to contain other vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals such as calcium, iron and potassium, and to be low in calories and fat.

The energy value for 100 g of the pulp ranges from 60 to 190 kcal (250–795 kJ), being an important fruit for the human diet.

The fruit flesh of ripe mango contains about 15% of total sugars. The major soluble sugars in mango are sucrose, fructose and glucose, while citric and malic acid are the predominant organic acids. The fruit taste is dependent upon the balance between these two components and their content varies from 40-77% depending upon stage of maturity.

Fructose is the major monosaccharide during the preclimateric phase, while sucrose is the principal sugar in ripe mango fruit.

Mango, like many fruits, has a low protein content with respect to the other macronutrients; by example, mango pulp from Colombia contributes to 0–0.6% of protein; while in Peru, mango contains 1.5 to 5.5% total protein; in other cultivars like Java, mango has 1–2%, and in India, cultivars present low contents of total protein (0.5–1%).

Higher starch content (70-80%) present in this fruit is at unripe state, it makes the fruits become a potential source of starch for various applications.
Composition of mango pulp

Fatty acids in mango fruits

Mango fruit contain amino acids, carbohydrates, fatty acids, minerals, organic acids, proteins and vitamins. Lipid components in mangoes, though found in minor quantities, are resumed to contribute to the characteristics aroma and flavour of mangoes.

Although mango fruits do not store lipids, these compounds have been associated with color and flavor development during ripening. The vast majority of lipids in mango are esters of long chain fatty acids. In mango fruits, the fatty acid oxidizing activity increases with ripening, while several fatty acids (particularly linoleic and oleic acids) decrease during ripening.

The fatty acid composition in fruit pulp has direct relationship with the aroma and flavour of mango fruit. An unusual fatty acid, named mangiferic acid, has been identified in the pulp of mango fruit which constitutes 5.4% of total acyl groups in the pulp lipids.
Fatty acids in mango fruits