Studies on Post-harvest Technology of Limonia acidissima L. Fruits

Wood apple (Limonia acidissima L.) is one of the important underutilized fruit. It is also known by different vernacular names such as kainth, kath bael, elephant apple, curd fruit, and monkey fruit. Wood apple is one of the very hardy fruit crops and can be grown even on saline, marginal land, waste and neglected lands normally unsuitable for cultivation of other crops or fruit trees. It is highly regarded as religious, cultural, nutritional and medicinal valued fruit tree. Juice of young leaves is mixed with milk and sugar and used as a remedy for biliousness and intestinal troubles of children. The powdered gum mixed with honey is given to overcome dysentery and diarrhea in children. The fruit is good source of minerals and pectin. In most of tribal parts of Asia, wood apple is available in ample quantity and because of its nutritive, medicinal and therapeutic values it has important place in tribal system of medicines. Wood apple is also a good raw material for extraction of quality pectin. The present book reveals the findings on physico-chemical composition, changes during growth and development, ripening regulation of fruit and value addition through processing.