Dillenia Indica: An underutilized fruit with gamut of food and industrial prospectives

The present review aims to evaluate the significant ethnomedicinal properties, phytochemical constituents, bioactivities and pharmacological aspects of Dillenia indica. D. indica is found to be capable of curing many aliments, as it exhibits antiinflammatory, analgesic, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, cytotoxic and antioxidant activity. Moreover, the mucilage of D. indica has potential in drug formulation because its properties are similar with those of pharmacological polymers. Besides being bestowed with myriads of health benefits, D. indica is an integral part of culinary dishes of North-east tribes, mainly for its astringent flavour and characteristic delicate aroma. It is widely used for making squash, curries, pickle, chutney etc. The use of D. indica in traditional medicines and herbal formulations is prevalent in India, China and Sri Lanka. Therefore, evaluation and methodical documentation of the ethnomedicinal properties, phytochemical composition, bioactivities and pharmacological aspects of D. indica is necessary so that multifarious benefits of this fruit can be harnessed for creation of benevolent drugs and functional foods, and the present review targets to fulfil this knowledge gap.