Limonia acidissima: An Emerging Insight into the Pharmacognostic, Nutraceutical, and Therapeutic Perspectives

Abstract

Native to the arid plains of India and Ceylon, where it grows wild and is regularly grown along highways, along the borders of fields, and rarely in orchards, Limonia acidissima, a member of the Rutaceae family, is also known as wood apple and elephant apple. Additionally, it is cultivated in Southern America, northern Malaysia, tropical and temperate Asia. Limonia acidissima (L.) is only found in Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is a member of the Rutaceae (Citrus family) family. It goes by several other names, including kath bel, kaitha, curd fruit, monkey fruit, and wood apple. For the treatment of a number of illnesses, this plant is administered as medication. L. acidissima is a slow-growing, deciduous tree that is upright with a few upward-reaching branches that curve outward at the summit and are split into thin branchlets with drooping ends. Scurvy can be prevented, treated, and flatulence can be relieved with wood-apple. Dysentery, diarrhea, and piles can all be treated with mashed, seedless fruit pulp. The goal of the current study was to investigate L. acidissima's prospective uses and applications in order to better use this underutilized fruit based on its nutritional value and pharmacological potentials. This paper provides an overview of recent pharmacognostic developments, several culinary uses for this fruit, and experimental studies on L. acidissima. The review will be useful in generating interest in the less well-known information and less well-documented research on L. acidissima. This knowledge might help create new formulations or improve current goods by adding additional medicinal or nutritional value.