Tomorrow (22nd July) is Mango Day, and this week’s leaf is about that fine fruit, Mangifera indica, a member of the Anacardiaceae family (the cashews). The mango India's national fruit and the national tree of Bangladesh. This tropical fruit tree has been cultivated in the Indian subbcontinent for several thousand years and spread by traders and colonalists to be grown in frost-free zones around the world. India remains by far the largest producer.

The mango is considered a "royal" fruit; it is called "Aam" (आम) in Hindi, which is somewhat ironic as the same word also means "common". Unsurprisingly, the mango features in Ayurvedic medicine, and used to treat dozens of disorders from respiratory to digestive to skin. This is unsurprising as Mango is rich in phytochemicals, notably the terpenoids that predominate in smell and taste, and the carotenoids that give the characteristic colours. It is particularly rich in vitamins A, C and E. One unique mango phytochemical is mangiferin, a glycoside of the xanthone norathyriol. Mangiferin is documented as an inhibitor of the bone resorption process that characterises e.g., osteoporosis and periodontal disease, so may be good for your bines and your teeth.

Mango extracts are widely used in skincare products. This is at first unsurprising because of all the antioxidants. However, in some people mango can induce contact dermatitis; in fact, mango extracts are used clinically in allergenicity tests. The phytochemicalresponsible is #urishiol. Urishiol is an allergen more often associated with the plant genus Toxidendron, a relative of mango from the cashew family that is more commonly known as poison ivy.

Gandhi once declared “Mango is a cursed fruit. Wemust get used to not treating it with so much affection.” I wonder if he became unable to eat them because of an adverse reaction. I myself often get a slightreaction around my lips after eating mango, but fortunately it disappearsquickly after washing around my mouth.

Happy Mango Day – you all know how to celebrate.

Further reading

• Shah KA et al (2010) Mangifera indica (mango). Pharmacognomberof the cashew familysy reviews, 4(7), 42–48. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.65325

• Wikipedia (2023) Mango https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mango & oldid=1166062589

Slate, N. (2019). Gandhi’s search for the perfect diet: Eating with the world in mind. University of Washington Press.
Excerpt: https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/gandhi-cursed-luscious-mangoes-he-once-loved-because-he-wanted-to-transcend-sex-desire/299880/

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