Mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree Mangifera indica which is believed to have
originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. M. indica has
been cultivated in South and Southeast Asia since ancient times resulting in two distinct types of modern mango
cultivars: the "Indian type" and the "Southeast Asian type". Other species in the genus Mangifera also produce
Worldwide, there are several hundred cultivars of mango. Depending on the cultivar, mango fruit varies in size,
shape, sweetness, skin color, and flesh color which may be pale yellow, gold, green, or orange. The mango is the
national fruit of India, Pakistan, and the Philippines, while the mango tree is the national tree of Bangladesh.
Mango trees grow to 30–40 m (98–131 ft) tall, with a crown radius of 10–15 m (33–49 ft). The trees are long-
lived, as some specimens still fruit after 300 years.
Domestication and cultivation
Mangoes are believed to have originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and
northeastern India. The mango is considered an evolutionary anachronism, whereby seed dispersal was once
accomplished by a now-extinct evolutionary forager, such as a megafauna mammal
From their center of origin, mangoes diverged into two genetically distinct populations: the subtropical Indian
group and the tropical Southeast Asian group. The Indian group is characterized by having monoembryonic fruits,
while the Southeast Asian group is characterized by polyembryonic fruits.
It was previously believed that mangoes originated from a single domestication event in South Asia before being
spread to Southeast Asia, but a 2019 study found no evidence of a center of diversity in India. Instead, it identified
a higher unique genetic diversity in Southeast Asian cultivars than in Indian cultivars, indicating that mangoes
may have originally been domesticated first in Southeast Asia before being introduced to South Asia. However,
the authors also cautioned that the diversity in Southeast Asian mangoes may be the result of other reasons (like
interspecific hybridization with other Mangifera species native to the Milesian ecoregion). Nevertheless, the
existence of two distinct genetic populations also identified by the study indicates that the domestication of the
mango is more complex than previously assumed, and would at least indicate multiple domestication events in
Southeast Asia and South Asia
The mango is now cultivated in most frost-free tropical and warmer subtropical climates. It is cultivated
extensively in South Asia, Southeast Asia, East and West Africa, the tropical and subtropical Americas, and the
Caribbean. Mangoes are also grown in Andalusia, Spain (mainly in Málaga province), as its coastal subtropical
climate is one of the few places in mainland Europe that permits the growth of tropical plants and fruit trees. The
Canary Islands are another notable Spanish producer of the fruit. Other minor cultivators include North America
An Environment Awareness Initiative by ABB India Limited (ELDS, Nashik)
(in South Florida and the California Coachella Valley), Hawai'i, and Australia. Numerous phytochemicals are
present in mango peel and pulp, such as the triterpene, lupeol. Mango peel pigments under study include
carotenoids, such as the provitamin A compound, beta-carotene, lutein and alpha-carotene, and polyphenols,
such as quercetin, kaempferol, gallic acid, caffeic acid, catechins and tannins. Mango contains a unique
xanthonoid called Mangifera.
Phytochemical and nutrient content appears to vary across mango cultivars. Up to 25 different carotenoids
have been isolated from mango pulp, the densest of which was beta-carotene, which accounts for the yellow-
orange pigmentation of most mango cultivars. Mango leaves also have significant polyphenol content,
including xanthonoids, Mangifera and gallic acid.
Production-
In 2020, world production of mangoes (report includes mangosteens and guavas) was 55 million tons, led
by India with 45% of the total (table). Almost half of the world's mangoes are cultivated in India alone, with
the second-largest source being Indonesia. Although India is the largest producer of mangoes, it accounts for
less than 1% of the international mango trade; India consumes most of its own production.
Other major mango-producing countries in total tonnage produced in 2020 were Indonesia, China, Pakistan,
Mexico, Brazil, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and the Philippines (table). At the wholesale level, the price of mangoes
varies according to the size, variety, and other factors. The FOB Price reported by the United States
Department of Agriculture for all mangoes imported into the US ranged from approximately US$4.60
(average low price) to $5.74 (average high price) per box (4 kg/box) during 2018
Nutrition - A raw mango is 84% water, 15% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and has negligible fat (table).
The energy value per 100 g (3.5 oz) serving of a raw mango is 250 kJ (60 calories). Fresh mango contains
only vitamin C and folate in significant amounts of the Daily Value as 44% and 11%, respectively (table).
References –
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An Environment Awareness Initiative by ABB India Limited (ELDS, Nashik)