Nutritional profiling and beneficial health attributes during developmental stages of an underutilized Spondias pinnata (L. F.) Kurz fruits for its optimum harvest

Finding novel food constituents that could benefit human beings in terms of nutritional and beneficial health attributes is an ever-expanding demand. In this direction, many underutilized traditional foods have been revisited. Spondias pinnata (L. f.) Kurz is an old-age native underutilized wild fruit plant used as either green or cooked vegetables in different recipes. The study aims to determine fruits' nutritive and health-protective values in different developmental stages to focus on the critical stages for harvest and consumption. The nutritive value was determined by reducing sugar, total soluble solids (TSS), and phytochemical contents. The antioxidants were studied for DPPH, hydroxyl radical, and nitric oxide scavenging activity. It was observed that the highest ascorbic acid (0.28 mg ml⁻¹) and a significant antioxidant activity (p < 0.05) were observed in the early (peel) stage with an IC₅₀ value of 0.23 mg ml⁻¹ (DPPH radical scavenging) and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀ value of 0.26 mg ml⁻¹). The study revealed that the fruits have a good amount of nutrients and antioxidants that could substitute for present-day high-yielding fruit crops. Thus, it could be concluded that the fruits of S. pinnata have both nutritive and health-protective constituents in all stages that could contribute to human nutrition as a cheap and valuable food source.