LYCHEE- A MEDICINAL FRUIT

LYCHEE- A MEDICINAL FRUIT

The lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn) an important sub-tropical evergreen fruit crop belonging to family Sapindaceae, is believed to have originated in China, where it has been grown in Southern Guangdong state for thousands of years. It is highly specific to climatic requirements and probably due to this reason its cultivation is restricted to few countries in the world. In India, lychee was introduced in the 18^th century through Burma, and from there, it spread to many countries. India and China account for 91 percent of the world lychee production but it is mainly marketed locally. In India, 428,900 metric tonnes of lychee is produced annually from 56,200 hectares. Lychee being exacting in climatic requirement is confined to a few states with 74 percent of production recorded in Bihar. In this state, lychee is the livelihood for millions of people as it provides both on-farm and off-farm employment. Small and marginal farmers get additional income from lychee plants in their homesteads. Thus, lychee cultivation is the livelihood security for a large population, especially in the state of Bihar.

An evergreen tree reaching 10–28 meters tall, the lychee bears fleshy fruits that are up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long and 4 cm (1.6 in) wide. The outside of the fruit is covered by a pink-red, roughly-textured rind that is inedible but easily removed to expose a layer of sweet, translucent white flesh. Lychees are eaten in many different dessert dishes, and are especially popular in China, throughout  Southeast  Asia, along with  South Asia and India.

The lychee is cultivated in  China, Thailand, Vietnam,Japan,Bangladesh and northern India (in particular  Biharr, which accounts for 75% of total Indian production).South Africa and the United States  (Hawaii and Florida) also have commercial lychee production.  Traditionally, litchi in India is primarily grown in the north, specifically in Northern Bihar in the area around Ranchi town and also around the Dehra Dun area in Uttar Pradesh. I have also heard that some is planted in Punjab in the north on a smaller scale but have never got to taste it. In Western India, there is a town called Golvad near the border of the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra where litchis have also been grown along the coast with mixed results

The lychee has a history of cultivation going back as far as 2000 BC according to records in China. Cultivation began in the area of southern China,  Malaysia, and  Vietnam. Wild trees still grow in parts of southern China and on Hainan Island.. There are many stories of the fruit's use as a delicacy in the Chinese Imperial Court. It was first described and introduced to the west in 1782.

The lychee tree is handsome, dense, round-topped and slow growing with evergreen leaves having 6-9 elliptic oblong and lanceolate abruptly pointed leaves. Colour of leaves varies from light green to dark green. Greenish white or yellowish flowers are borne in clusters. Fruits are round or heart shaped having thin, leathery skin. The colour of fruits varies with cultivar, and is red or rose or pinkish. The edible portion or fruit is the aril, which is immediately beneath the skin. Flavour of the aril varies with cultivar, which is distinctive. Seeds are bold but in some cultivars seeds are partially developed, due to failure of pollination, referred to as ‘chicken-tongue’ seed. The trees with small seeded fruits are prized because of the greater portion of pulp.

Considering the importance of this fruit crop in the region, efforts are made to provide technological support through research and promoting production, post-harvest management and marketing, including export, through development programmes. Lychee has also been identified as an important crop for export. Currently, Indian export of lychee remains quite small due to expanded domestic market. The product for export and distant domestic markets is typically packed in 2 kg cartons after pre-cooling and sulphuring. Domestic marketing generally receives lychee in 10 kg wooden cages or 15 to 18 kg baskets. The growing of lychee in different states under various climatic conditions has advantages in terms of earliness and extended harvest. With a narrow genetic base, under given climatic conditions, fruits are available only for 3-4 weeks. However, due to the spread of cultivation over a wide range of climate there is possibility for extending the cropping period from the first week of May to the first week of July. Evidently, with an expanding market, there is ample potential for increasing area and production with improved production technology and efficient post-harvest management and storage. This paper deals with the current status and identifies the constraints which are required to be addressed.

In India, lychee ranks 7^th in area and 9^th in production among fruit crops (Table 1), but in value terms, it ranks sixth. At national level banana and mango are the most important fruit but in Bihar state, lychee is considered to be the most important fruit as it contributes significantly to its total fruit production.There has been substantial increase in area and production of lychee in the last 50 years. Area has increased from 9,400 hectares in 1949-50 to 56,000 hectares in 1998-99. The contribution of lychee to total area under fruit has increased from 0.75 percent to 1.5 percent. Increase in area between 1991-92 and 1998-99 (7 years) has been 14.28 percent, while production increase during the same period is to the tune of 75 percent. Productivity also recorded an increase of 52.91 percent during the same period. Evidently, production and productivity of lychee is constantly increasing in the country.

Lychee being exacting in climatic and soil requirements has limited distribution. It is grown in the states of Bihar, Tripura, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. Of the total production of lychee in India, 74 percent is contributed by Bihar. The second largest lychee producing state is West Bengal followed by Tripura and Assam (Table 2). Productivity is highest in Bihar followed by West Bengal. An interesting feature of distribution of lychee in India is that maturity commences first in Tripura, followed by West Bengal then Bihar. The first and second week of May is the time for harvest in the eastern region, while lychee of Bihar matures in the 3^rd -4^th week of May and continues up to the first week of June. Lychee in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab is ready for harvest during the 2^nd - 3^rd week of June. In Himachal Pradesh, lychee of the same cultivar is harvested in the last week of June. Interestingly, in most of the states the best lychee orchards are seen along the rivers, big or small.

Lychee varieties grown in India are highly variable under different climate and soil conditions. Singh (1954) described 33 varieties and classified them into 15 groups varieties of lychee grown in India have also been subsequently described (Singh, 1998). When distinguishing the cultivar, the shape of skin segments and protuberances are the reliable and stable genetic characteristics. Fruit size, shape and taste are also variables but are influenced by other than genetic factors. Indian cultivars vary greatly in vegetative flushing pattern, flush colour and flowering ability. Based on these characteristics, cultivars were classified in five groups (Singh, 1998). Group A, which has 7 cultivars is the early group, B and C groups are mid-season, and group D is the late group. Only one cultivar, which is very late, is under group E and its cultivation is confined to Muzaffarpur. Yield and physicochemical characteristics of important cultivars are given in Table 3. The cultivars also show variation in yield, cracking, and physico-chemical quality. Shahi among the early group and China among the mid-season groups appeared to be promising in Jharkhand state (Babita, Personal communication).

Leaf colour along with shape and size of the leaves is of importance in varietal identification. The leaf of Rose Scented is boat-shaped while China has a distinctive twist along the length curved upward from the midrib and down along its length. Small leaflets of Bedana are oval shaped. The fruit shape of the lychee is very distinguishing. The round shape of Bedana is distinguished from the oblong shape of China or Shahi. The fruit is smooth and pulp is even or uneven. The apex of the fruit can be round, obtuse, blunt as in Shahi, or pointed as in China. The varieties can also be distinguished depending upon the colour of the new flush and season of flushing. Shahi produces very light coloured flush while China has pinkish flush. Bedana has very dark pink flush. Emergence of the panicle and its shape also differs. Singh and Singh (1954) distinguished the cultivars based on panicle characteristics. Shahi has long panicles while Bedana produces short and compact panicles. The colour of the lychee fruit is pinkish brown or dark red depending on the cultivar. Colour of the skin varies and is also influenced by growing conditions.

Lychee fruit  usually start flowering and fruit early rainy season between September to October. And when  the fruit is ready for harvest, characteristics fruit color has changed  from green to be reddish and fragrant of the typical In general,Lychee  is very easy to recognize. Fruit small oval-shaped and slightly rounded at the horde has a thin stalk reddish color. Surface of the fruit skin nodule, so opened and white meat contains a lot of clear water. Nutrition and health benefits lychee fruit has many health benefits because it contains different types of nutrition in the fruit lychee. vitamin and the most prominent in the fruit is vitamin c. lychee degree to 71.5 mg  vitamin C per 100 grams of pulp. eat 100 grams of fruit lychee, can meet the needs of more than 100 percent of  vitamin C per day. Vitamin C is the natural antioxidants that are very useful for attacks against free radicals, causes early old process, and various cancer diseases . Mineral prominent in the fruit lychee  is potasium 171 mg, phosphorus 31 mg, 10 mg magnesium, calcium and 5 mg. Even with a low degree, lychee substance also contains iron, Zinc, copper, natrium, selenium, and other minerals.

Calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium is a mineral essential triad for the formation of bone and framework of the  normal body, so that it is required of children who are in a period of growth and also by adults to prevent osteoporosis.

Copper minerals (Cu) can form a complex enzyme system with  antioxidants Superoksida Dismutase (Sod), which play a role in neutralism radical superoksida.

Lychees treat coughs and can be trusted to have any effect cure gastralgia, tumor, and gland swell

Fat content in the fruit lychee   very low, so very good to be consumed by all age groups, including those who are diet to maintain or  lose weight Therefore, there is no limit how many lychee that should be consumed each day. Consume  fresh lychee fruit every day to refine the skin.  The fruit  is also believed to lychee can enrich the blood and improve physical strength. Therefore, for those who completed the recommended treatment because of illness consume fruit lychee to help restore power.

                                                                                                   Prof. John Kurakar