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Ber/Jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana): Morphology, Taxonomy, Composition and Health Benefits

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Fruits Grown in Highland Regions of the Himalayas

Abstract

Ber, also known as Chinese date or poor man’s fruit, is highly nutritious but underutilized. The fruit contains vitamin C, protein, and minerals in higher proportions as compared to apples and mangoes while contains more phosphorus and iron than orange, thus can provide high nutritional value at low cost. It also contains fibre in good amount which plays a role in maintaining normal plasma cholesterol and glycemic response in body. Pulp of the fruit is rich in phytonutrients as well thus, provide a good choice as a functional food. Due to its rich composition, ber has been considered a treatment for various diseases via its anticarcinogenicity, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-stimulating, anti-obesity, gastrointestinal protective and hepatoprotective activities.

Family:

Rhamnaceae

Genus:

Zizyphus

Species:

Ziziphus mauritiana

Order:

Rhamnaceous

Local name:

Masau

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Hussain, S.Z., Naseer, B., Qadri, T., Fatima, T., Bhat, T.A. (2021). Ber/Jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana): Morphology, Taxonomy, Composition and Health Benefits. In: Fruits Grown in Highland Regions of the Himalayas. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75502-7_12

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