Grewia is a unique shrub that serves as a consumer cure. It is eaten as ripe fruit, as well as in truffles, extracted fruit, and beverages.
NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF (GREWIA FRUIT)
It’s a popular drink in the tropics during the hot summer months. Fruit output is approximately 5.2 kg per plant. TSS (total soluble solids) is 14%, acidity is 4.64 percent, juice is 5.4 percent, pulp is 81.5 percent, fruit weight is 0.478 g, and fruit size is 2.07 cm. Plant height is 4.5m, with a bright green lower leaf surface. There are two types of Grewia are grown in subcontinent like tall and dwarf plants. Dwarf-type fruits have a calorie value of 72/100g and include 6070% juice, 23% citric acid, and 1820% TSS, 3040mg/100g vitamin C, 700750IU vitamin A, and 0.40.6% minerals. Plant height is 3.4m, with a greenish white lower leaf surface. Grewia is a drought-tolerant plant that thrives in arid and semi-arid environments. Anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-glucoside), dietary fibres, minerals, and vitamin C make up Grewia asiatica. Campesterol (2.15 percent), alpha-methyl-1-sorboside (11.52 percent), citric acid trimethyl ester (5.10 percent), stigmasterol (1.23%), methylester (0.10%), and 9,12-octadecadienoic acid are all found in Grewia asiatica. The oil in phalsa seeds is of a bright-yellow color and occupies about 5% oil with a composition of oleic acid (13.4%), stearic acid (11.0%), palmitic acid (8.3%), unsaponifiable material (2.8%), and linoleic acid (64.5%). Nutrient value of Grewia per 100g edible portion is Moisture 80.0%, carbohydrate 21.1%, protein 1.5%, fat 0.9%, fiber 1.2%, ash 1.1g, calcium 129 mg, phosphorus 39 mg, potassium 375 mg, iron 3.1 mg, niacin 0.3 mg, riboflavin 0.264 mg, thiamine 0.2 mg, vitamin C 22 mg, and vitamin A (carotene) 419 ug.
BENEFITS OF GREWIA FRUIT:
CULTIVATION AND POST HARVEST LOSSES:
There is a lack of Postharvest management practices resulting in huge losses in fruits and vegetables. Like other tropical fruits, Grewia fruit is also abundantly available during the summer season for a short period, causing a seasonal glut and is non-climacteric in nature. The food products such as drink, nectar, squash, fruit leather, can also be produced successfully from Grewia fruits.
The subcontinent is the origin of many fruit crops and the most of crops are limited its growing region only. Despite high nutritional and medicinal properties, their commercial cultivation is lacking. Most underutilized fruits are in the core recipes of many ayurvedic formulations. The most common underutilized fruit which are gaining popularity is Grewia.
On the other hand, nowadays, people are aware of the health benefits of Grewia fruit but its shelf life is a major hindrance for a sufficient supply of throughout the year which also results in a price hike. To delay the process of ripening, to reduce the post-harvest losses, various chemical, as well as growth regulators, have been used solo or in combination and, to improve and maintain color and quality by slowing down the metabolic activities of fruits, increase shelf-life and maintain the marketable quality for a longer periods are used.
VALUE ABLE PRODUCTS OF GREWIA FRUIT:
The ripened Grewia fruit can be used for the preparation of healthy drink, preserve, squashe, jelliy, nectar and wine. In most countries, fruit juices are known as important commodities from a trade point of view because these provide beneficial nutrients, which are essential for human health. Moreover, nutrients are best absorbed in the form of beverages, consequently, demand for juices is continuously increasing day by day. Grewia fruit come in the underutilized fruits category which is not commercially processed in Pakistan. The quality of Grewia fruit greatly deteriorates between its harvesting and consumption so there is considerable wastage such fruit. Fruit leather (pestil) is a traditional product formed by the addition of sucrose and starch into the pulp and the dehydration of fruit pulp into leathery sheets. As a result of the increasing awareness of consumers in healthy food consumption, demand for value-added products has raised and pestil gained importance as being an economic source of natural fruits with several nutrients.