Paper Title
SIGNIFICANCE AND VALUE PRODUCTS OF INDIAN NATIVE DRYLAND FRUIT - KARONDA

Abstract
To preventand treat diet-related illnesses and promote health and wellbeing through nutritious food is present need of the hour.Fruits are sources of energy, nutrients,antioxidants, and phytochemicals, which play major role in malnutrition alleviation.Karonda (Carissa carandas), anindigenous fruiting shrub,grows wild in IndiaHardy, drought-tolerant plant flourish well in dry land regions. Highly nutritious berry-sized vivid ripe fruits are red, maroon or purple in colour and sub-acidic to sweet in taste with a peculiar aroma.Fruits are rich source of iron (39.14mg 100gm-1 pulp) and vitamin- C (200-500mg 100 gm-1 pulp) often used in the ancient Indian medicine, Ayurveda.Fruits are rich in secondary metabolites, phenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins, therefore are good source of antioxidants.Anaemia is a silent killer among Indian women and vitamin- C is essential for tissue growth and repair.Fruits of Karondaare antiscorbutic and useful to cure anaemia, anorexia, urinary disorders, and diabetic ulcers. Products are useful to treat acidity, indigestion diarrhoea, as well as biliousness.Phytomedicinepreparedfrom plant parts such as leaf decoction used for oral inflammation, earaches and feverswhereas the root extract as vermifuge, for skin itches and chest pain etc.Karondais called pickle berry,sour and astringent unripe fruits are customarily used for pickles, sauces and chutneys. It is often used as a condiment and spice in Indian cuisine.Colourful ripe berries are processed into various value products such as jelly, sauce and carissa cream, jellied salad,jams, syrups etc. The biggest use of this fruit is as a faux cherry on cakes, puddings, traditional paan etc. It has greatmarket in preserved form as pitted cherries after processing it liketraditional candied murabba.Sturdy gregarious shrubwith axillary spinesisplantedas hedge, live fence or biofence. Hard wood of it to make carved articles and toys, foliage for cattle and silkwormfeed,thus plant is a succour and livelihood to the tribal communities in various parts of India.Apart from nutritional aspects,potent Karonda can be exploredin various possible means. Keywords - Anthocyanins Antioxidants, Antiscorbutic,Anaemia,Karonda, Value products. Vermifuge