Recent Insights into the Morphological, Nutritional and Phytochemical Properties of Indian Gooseberry (<i>Phyllanthus emblica</i>) for the Development of Functional Foods
Pawar Gayatri Avinash,
Hamid,
Rafeeya Shams,
Kshirod Kumar Dash,
Ayaz Mukarram Shaikh,
Diána Ungai,
Endre Harsányi,
Tejas Suthar,
Béla Kovács
Affiliations
Pawar Gayatri Avinash
Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144001, India
Hamid
Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144001, India
Rafeeya Shams
Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144001, India
Kshirod Kumar Dash
Department of Food Processing Technology, Ghani Khan Choudhury Institute of Engineering and Technology Malda, Malda 732141, India
Ayaz Mukarram Shaikh
Faculty of Agriculture, Food Science and Environmental Management, Institute of Food Science, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Diána Ungai
Faculty of Agriculture, Food Science and Environmental Management, Institute of Food Science, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Endre Harsányi
Agricultural Research Institutes and Academic Farming (AKIT), Faculty of Agriculture, Food Science and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Tejas Suthar
Independent Researcher, Chicago, IL 60616, USA
Béla Kovács
Faculty of Agriculture, Food Science and Environmental Management, Institute of Food Science, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Aonla, commonly known as Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica), is a plant native to India with various therapeutic and dietary benefits. This review covers the taxonomical, morphological, and species-level classifications of aonla fruit, including its flower biology, maturation, harvesting, and yield metrics. It also discusses the nutritional, physico-chemical, and phytochemical characteristics and the total antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and mineral compositions of several aonla fruit cultivars. Additionally, the health benefits of aonla are reviewed, including its analgesic, antipyretic, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, ulcerogenic, chemo-protective, neuroprotective, free radical scavenging, hypoglycaemic, and immunogenic properties, which make it beneficial in the treatment and prevention of various illnesses. Further various forms of fruit extract are also considered to be beneficial for the improvement of plant and animal health. Overall, aonla is a valuable fruit with significant potential for use in improving human health.
