Abstract

Sonneratia apetala is a common mangrove tree in the Indian Sundarbans located at the apex of Bay of Bengal in the lower Gangetic delta region. The fruit of this species appears during the monsoon season and is extensively consumed by the island dwellers of Sundarbans. Pulp and jelly prepared from the fruit pulp extract were analyzed for vitamin C, Mg, Na, K, Ca, Cu, Co, Mo and Zn with the objective to generate alternative livelihood for Sundarban people who are the worst sufferers of climate change related impacts in the Indian sub-continent. The results of the fruit products were compared with the jelly prepared from other edible fruits to evaluate the nutritional status of the present product. Vitamin C of the fruit pulp and jelly were significantly higher than other citrus fruits. The major and trace elements of the jelly were well within the range of accepted level for human consumption. A master plan for creating back up nurseries of S. apetala in lower Gangetic delta complex can open up and sustain a mangrove based alternative livelihood for Sundarban people.

Keywords

Sonneratia Apetala, Vitamin C, Major Elements, Trace Elements

Cite This Article

Pramanick, P., Zaman, S., Bera, D., Raha, A.K., & Mitra, A. (2014). Mangrove Fruit Products: A Search for Alternative Livelihood for Island Dwellers of Lower Gangetic Delta. International Journal for Pharmaceutical Research Scholars, 3(1), 131-137.