INVESTIGATION INTO THE NUTRITIONAL, MEDICINAL, AND INDUSTRIAL OPPORTUNITIES OF DIOSPYROS MELANOXYLON (ROXB.): A DETAILED REVIEW

Diospyros melanoxylon, popularly known as Tendu, is a mostly unutilized fruit present in India and its bordering countries that holds enormous potential nutritional, medicinal, and industrial opportunities. This review summarizes the recent research on Tendu regarding its chemical composition, health benefits, processing technologies, and opportunities for developing value-added products. Antioxidants, vitamins, and a high fibre content characterize Tendu fruit, with probable therapeutic effects of its bioactive components traced from anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. On the other hand, studies on processed products like jam, wine, and ice creams indicate the promise of producing Tendu-based products economically, although there are considerable hurdles in scaling up production processes. The paper comes to a conclusion that with further research efforts, Tendu might become one of the major raw material sources for both the food and pharmaceutical industry, subject to finding solutions to the problems associated with its cultivation and marketing. Keywords: Diospyros melanoxylon, tendu, nutritional benefits, bioactive compounds, processed products.