Sustainable valorization of endemic Garcinia species namely Garcinia pedunculata, Garcinia morella and Garcinia xanthochymus of Bodoland Territorial Regions of Assam, India: physicochemical and biofunctional characterization

The Garcinia genus is considered an underutilized variety and is recognized as a valuable dietary source of phytochemical compounds with various health benefits. The physicochemical analysis of the fruits revealed that they are generally globular in shape but vary in size and are highly acidic, with GP (Garcinia pedunculata) exhibiting the highest TTA% at 5.79 ± 0.09. Key minerals detected include magnesium, iron, and calcium, with calcium being the most abundant across all species. The highest phenolic content was determined in GP (6.55 ± 0.27 mg. GAE. g-1), while the highest flavonoid content was analyzed in GX (Garcinia xanthochymus) (34.99 ± 0.51 mg. QE. g-1). GM (Garcinia morella) showed the highest DPPH• and ABTS•+ scavenging activities and demonstrated the lowest IC50 values for these assays. Hydroxycitric acid content was highest in GM (472.88 ± 4.78 mg. g-1) among the three species. Antimicrobial assays revealed inhibition zones against both bacterial and fungal strains. These findings confirm that Garcinia fruit is a potent source of antioxidants and exhibits significant antimicrobial properties, which could be beneficial for the formulation of value-added products.