Mango: Chemical composition and health benefits

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) belongs to the Anacardiaceae family, genus Mangifera, species indica. It is one of the most important crops in the world; known as the king of fruits, this plant is grown in tropical and subtropical countries. India is the largest producer followed by China, Thailand, Mexico and Indonesia. Production is increasing each year due to growing consumer demand. The world’s production of mango fruit has been estimated at over 26 million tonnes annually. Mango fruit is an important source of dietary fiber, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, micronutrients, vitamins and phytochemicals such as polyphenols, carotenoids, sterols and other secondary metabolites. Biochemical changes provide special sensory characteristics, including excellent flavor, attractive aroma, color and unique taste. These changes take place during ripening as a result of enzyme activity, mainly pectin methylesterase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase. The fruit is mainly commercialized fresh; however, consumers can obtain industrialized products such as slices in syrup, nectar, leather, pickles, dehydrated fruit, and powder among others. After processing mango fruit, the peel, seed and seed kernel are by-products, which can be used to obtain phytochemicals, enzymes, vitamins E and C, dietary fiber, cellulose, lipids, and pectin. Recently, mango fruit has gained much attention due to the presence of phytochemicals, which have several pharmacological properties. It has been reported that phytochemicals in mango provide protection against oxidative damage. In addition phenolic compounds found in mango display diverse biological effects, such as the reduction of plasma lipid levels, the inhibition of hepatic lipid synthesis and lipoprotein secretion, and the enhancement of cholesterol elimination through bile acids. Furthermore, mango by-products are an important source of total dietary fiber, superior to that reported for cereals, due to a more balanced soluble dietary fiber/insoluble dietary fiber ratio. This suggests that this material could be used for technological functionality and physiological effects. This chapter contains important information about taxonomy, production, physicochemical, and phytochemical composition, and health benefits of mango fruit and its by-products.