Assessment Of Nutritional Potential And Food Safety Evaluation In Mice And Rat By The Fruit Of Mangrove Plant, Sonneratia apetala Of Sundarban, India

The Study was under taken on human edible fruit of mangrove plant of Sundarban. Within 94 mangal species reported from Sundarban only seven species produce human edible fruits as confirmed by local use. So far, no study has been under taken on the nutritive value as well as on toxicity levels of these fruit. This is why they did not find the place in the ICMR food list. The work was taken up for the fruit Sonneratia apetala. It was revealed that this fruit contain several beneficial nutrients. A Hepato-toxicity study was under taken which indicated no mortality of mice even in the acute toxicity tests. During sub-acute toxicity test increased Haemoglobin level was noticed for S.apatala, & decreased serum urea levels, increased HDL level, SGPT level decreased. Very interesting compound squalene pick was detected by GC-MS analysis which is valuable for tumor depressant, anti-diabetic. The fruit is rich in anti-oxidants. The above study indicates a strong case for inclusion of this mangrove fruit in ICMR food list.