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Dillenia indica

Summary

Elephant’s apple belongs to Dillenia family and is distributed mainly in the North-eastern regions of India. The fruits are sour and acidic, can be consumed cooked, raw in the form of cooling drinks and juices or in preparation of pickles or jelly. It is rich in nutrients and the consumption of this fruit is reported to be associated with the protection of various diseases. It is mostly known and reported for its high antioxidant properties due to the presence of some bioactive compounds as antioxidants such as beta-carotene, ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol and so on. And in pharmacological studies, it is reported that this fruit shows activities like antileukemic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiproliferative, antidiabetic and so on.

Mode of Consumption: The matured fruit is consumed raw or cooked in recipes and used to prepare pickles by local people.
Plant Details Agro-climatic Zone Vernacular Names Pictures
Scientific Name: Dillenia indica L.
Family: Dilleniaceae Salisb.
Class: Magnoliopsida 
Order: Dilleniales
Genus: Dillenia L.
Fruiting Season: December-April
Fruting Condition: Ripe
  • Eastern Himalayan Region
  • Southern plateau and Hills Region & West Coast Plains and Ghat Region
  • West Coast Plains and Ghat Region
  • West Coast Plains and Ghat Region & East Coast Plains and Hills Region
  • Lower Gangetic Plains Region

 Assam : Ou-tenga, Outenga, Panchkol, Pascol-solta, Pumplung, Sompa/Sampa, Thaigir
Karnataka : Bettadakanigala, Kaadu kanigala
Kerala : Pinnay, Punna, Vazchpunna
Maharashtra : Karambel, Mota Karmal
Manipur : Aitrang
Meghalaya : Dieng-soh-karbam
Mizoram : Aitrang
Nagaland : Dong-phang-thai
Tamil Nadu : Kattaral, Ugakkay
West Bengal : Chalta

Complete fruit.


Fruit on tree.


Matured fruits on display.
Compound/Chemical Immunomodulatory Activity Pathway Immunomodulatory Marker
Fruit extract with Betulinic acidAnti-inflammatory activityThe extracts of the fruit is known to neutralize lipid peroxidation in vitro.[1]
Vitamin C in metha­nolic, petroleum ether and water extractsAntioxidant activityThe methanolic extract of Dillenia indica has a high amount of phenolic content and due to this, it has high antioxidant activity because it reduces NO and has free radical scavenging ability with IC50 values for DPPH, Hydroxyl, oxygen, NO and reductive ability values; 31.25 ug/ml, 51.44 ug/ml, 39.73 ug/ml and 40.18 ug/ml.NO reduction[2]
Major Class Metabolites
Cycloartenone(Fruit), n-Hentriacon-tanol 1-Hentriacontanol(Fruit), Proanthocyanidins(Fruit), Kaempferol(Fruit), Dihydrokaempferide(Fruit), 6-rhamnopyranosyl oleoside(Fruit)
Pentayclic triterpenesBetulinaldehyde(Fruit), Betulinic acid(Fruit), Betulin(Fruit), Lupeol(Fruit), ß-Sitosterol(Fruit), Dillenetin(Fruit), Isorrhamnetin(Fruit)
FlavonoidMyricetin(Fruit)
Traditional Practice Diseases Plant Part Additional Knowledge
SeedTreatment of psoriasis and its effect on inflammatory biomarkers[3]
4.1, 04.1.1, 04.1.2.3
Incompatible with dairy products and other acidic fruits such as Grapes, Amla and Papaya etc.
CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat-6, Assam, India
CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur-61,Himachal Pradesh, India