Bael (Aegle marmelos (L.): Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology: Cultivated varieties in India -An Update

This review paper of literature survey highlights medicinal importance of Bilwapathri or Bael (Aegle marmelos: Family-Rutaceae) and updates on therapeutic studies. The demand for bael fruits is increasing owing to nutraceutical, therapeutical, post-harvest values, and its usages in various Indian Ayurvedic system of medicines. Bael is available as both wild and cultivated varieties in all parts of India. Riboflavin, an essential vitamin, is only found in fully ripe fruits. Some of the well known commercially cultivated 20 varieties of Bael in India are CISH-B-1, CISH-B-2, Goma Yashi, Narendra Bael-5 (NB-5), Narendra Bael-7 (NB-7), Narendra Bael-9 (NB-9), Narendra Bael-16 (NB-16), Narendra Bael-17 (NB-17), Pant Aparna, Pant sujata, Pant Shivani, Pant Uravashi, CHESB-16, CHESB-11, CHESB-21, Thar Divya, Thar Neelkanth, Thar Shivangi, Thar Srishti, and Thar Prakrati. The pulp of fruits, bark, leaves, seeds, and roots of bael tree contain bioactive compounds such as coumarin, xanthotoxol, imperatorin, aegeline, high amount of riboflavin and marmeline. The fruit pulp extract of bael has been known for its pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, antidiarrheal, immunomodulatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, radioprotective, antimicrobial, used to treat cirrhosis, bioadhesive property, antispermatogenic, wound-healing property, antimalarial, used in the treatment of glaucoma, antipyretic, antiviral, cardioprotective, antivenom, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrofilarial and antiulcer properties. Despite its exceptional flavor, nutritional and medicinal properties, Bael remains an underutilized fruit with enormous potential to be used in the functional food market. In the market, bael fruit pulp is predominantly consumed in processed forms such as jams, squash, murabba, powder, preserves, nectar, and toffee.