Paper Title
PHALSA–AN INDIGENOUS VALUE FRUIT OF INDIANDRYLANDS

Abstract
India, one of the mega plant biodiversity centres,endowed with richfruitheritage. Grewiasubinaequalis L. (Phalsa; Family: Tiliacae) grows throughout much of India.It is a short scraggly shrub of 4 mheight, yields small purplish-red,soft, tender rounddrupaceousfruits with soft, fibrous greenish-white pulp stained with purple.Hardy plant can be grown as rainfed crop in tropical and arid locations. Fruits are highly nutritious, packed with vitamins, iron antioxidantsandseveral bioactive compounds like anthocyanins, phenolics, flavonoids, tannins which exhibit very high antioxidant activity.Pleasant acid flavoured ripe berries of phalsa contain a high amount of vitamins A, and C approximately (16.11, and 4.38 mg), minerals (calcium 820.32 mg/100g, phosphorous 814.5 mg/100g, iron 27.10 mg/100g), and fibre however, low in calories, fatand low glycemic index. Fruits are therapeuticAccording to the ancient Indian treatise on medicineAyurveda, phalsa fruits are cooling tonic and aphrodisiac.Fruitsare against throat trouble,remove biliousness, cure inflammation, heart,liver, blood disorders and fevers. The fruit is good foranaemia, diabetes control, wound healing, controlling urinary tract infections.Dead foetus removal, anorexia, indigestion, thirst, toxaemia, spermatorrhoea, diarrhoea, tuberculosis, and sexual debility troubles are some of the other healing properties of Phalsa fruit (Khan et al., 2018).Throughout the fruiting seasonin hot summer months, a refreshing fruit drink is prepared, commonly known as phalsa sherbetpopular in local areas.Because of its pleasant flavour and deep crimson-red colour and exceptional refreshing qualities, fruitcan be madeinto RTS syrup, squash and carbonated beverages andpreserved with sodium benzoate.Fruit jam with ripe and pickle of raw unripeare prepared.India can harness its rich biodiversity by promoting the cultivation and value addition of underutilized fruits like phalsa, to strengthen both domestic and international markets. Keywords - Anaemia, Antioxidant, Diabetes, Phalsa, Therapeutic Vitamins