Comparative evaluation of physicochemical and nutritional traits of mango cultivars from Northwestern Bangladesh

This study evaluated the physicochemical and nutritional traits of twelve mango cultivars: Amrapali, Assina, BARI Mango-4, Fazli, Haribhanga, Himsagar, Katchamitha, Katimon, Kishanbogh, Langra, Lokhna, and Nak Fazli. A single-factor experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications per cultivar, each replication consisting of 6 physiologically mature mango fruits. The fruits were stored under ambient conditions (25.09 ± 0.03 °C temperature and 65.63 ± 0.21% relative humidity) for 5 days to reach the edible ripe stage. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and mean comparisons were performed using Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) test at p ≤ 0.05). Pearson’s correlation, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Dendrogram visualization were conducted using R software, while bar graphs were prepared using Microsoft Excel. Fazli mango was the longest at 12.10 cm, while BARI Mango-4 was the widest at 9.50 cm. BARI Mango-4 had the highest individual fruit weight at 487.63 g, followed by Fazli at 417.59 g. The varieties Fazli (80.44%) and Assina (78.92%) had the maximum pulp percentage per fruit, while Lokhna (67.77%) and Himsagar (68.35%) had the lowest. Katimon (15.17 N/cm 2 ) and BARI Mango-4 (14.45 N/cm 2 ) exhibited the highest pulp firmness values during the study, whereas Kishanbogh (6.39 N/cm 2 ) was the softest cultivar. The dry matter content, total soluble solids and pH value of the fruits ranged from 13.93 to 23.95%, 12.98 to 21.50 °Brix, and 3.81 to 4.89, respectively. The highest vitamin C content was measured in Nak Fazli (97.30 mg/100 g FW) and Amrapali (95.43 mg/100 g FW), while Langra (76.17%) exhibited the highest antioxidant activity with other varieties ranged between 34.1 and 72.95%. The β-Carotene content was ranging from 0.13 to 1.69 mg/100 g FW, with the highest level found in Amrapali and the lowest in Assina. Correlation analysis showed significant associations among traits such as fruit weight and pulp weight ( r = 0.99, p < 0.01), vitamin C and antioxidant activity ( r = 0.72, p < 0.01), and dry matter and total soluble solids ( r = 0.77, p < 0.01). Principal component analysis identified fruit size and weight traits as the main sources of variation among cultivars. Cluster dendrogram analysis revealed considerable diversity among the studied mango cultivars, with BARI Mango-4 forming a distinct group. Overall, the study demonstrated substantial variation in the physicochemical and nutritional attributes of Bangladeshi mango cultivars, highlighting their potential for quality improvement and varietal development.