Assessment of Nutritional And Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Selected Genotypes of Cordia Myxa L.: A Potential Underutilized Fruit Crop of Indian Arid Zone

Cordia myxa is one of the important underutilized fruit plants suitable for arid and semi-arid regions of India having potential for commercial exploitation in vegetable and pickle industry. Fruits of four improved genotypes of Cordia myxa were analyzed for nutritional value, total phenol content and free radical scavenging activity. Acetone extracts from dried fruit samples were prepared to determine total phenol content and free radical scavenging activity using DPPH essay. The fruits harvested at 20 or 30 days after fruit set recorded higher crude fibre and crude protein as compared to at full ripening stage. The total phenol content was found highest in fruits harvested earliest irrespective of genotypes. The correlation coefficient between total phenol content and free radical scavenging activity of fruit extract was found positive and significant. The results suggest that the fruits of Cordia myxa should be harvested at 20 to 30 days after fruit set to get maximum benefits of its anti-oxidant and other nutritional properties.