Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research communications

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Physico–chemical and nutritional properties of wild jujube (Ziziphus oenopolia (L.) Mill.) fruits under different locations and storage conditions

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.14007
Submitted
5 February 2026
Published
24-08-2026

Abstract

Ziziphus oenopolia (L.) Mill. is a wild nutraceutical plant, belonging to Rhamnaceae family. It is an important shrub which is mostly found in warm tropical Asia and northern Australia. Since time immemorial this plant is best known for its ayurvedic properties. Furthermore, it is recognised for its therapeutic efficiency in curing different diseases all over the globe. Ziziphus oenopolia produces cyclopeptide alkaloids called ziziphines and has major role in biomedical applications. It has antioxidant, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antihepatotoxicity, antiulcer, wound healing, anti- plasmodial and anticancer activity. The objective of this study was to characterise the physico-chemical and nutritional properties of wild jujube (Z. oenopolia) fruits grown in different locations and in various storage conditions. Fruits were collected from multiple locations and analysed for physico-chemical parameters (fruit weight, total soluble solids (TSS), sugar content, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds) and nutritional composition at full-ripe stage under different storage treatments. Soil nutrient levels and leaf chlorophyll content were also measured to assess their influence on fruit composition. The results showed that TSS and sugar content increased with storage, while ascorbic acid decreased. Fruit weight and quality varied with location and storage conditions and soil nutrients and leaf chlorophyll affected fruit composition. In conclusion, these fruits are a rich source of minerals and antioxidants with good shelf life, making them a promising candidate for food and medicinal use also their physico-chemical properties are influenced by location and storage conditions. Further research on domestication and optimal storage is recommended for improving fruit quality and utilisation.

References

  1. 1. Reddy AGK, Kumar JS, Maruthi V, Venkatasubbaiah K, Rao CS. Fruit production under climate changing scenario in India: A review. Environ Ecol. 2017;35(2B):1010–7.
  2. 2. Gupta OP, Kainsa RL, Chauhan KS. Post harvest studies on ber fruits (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.). I. Preparation of candy. Haryana Agric Univ J Res. 1980;10:163. https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in
  3. 3. Gupta OP, Kainsa RL, Chauhan KS, Dhawan SS. Post harvest studies in ber fruits (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.). IV. Comparison of sugar and gur for the preparation of candies. Haryana Agric Univ J Res. 1981;11:369–92.
  4. 4. Gupta OP, Kainsa RL, Dhawan SS. Postharvest studies in ber fruits (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.). II. Evaluation of cultivars for candy making. Haryana Agric Univ J Res. 1981;11:480–92.
  5. 5. Gupta AK, Panwar HS, Vashishtha BB. Studies on physico-chemical changes during development and maturity in ber fruit cv. Gola. Punjab Hortic J. 1983;23:186–90.
  6. 6. Kumar S, Ojha CM, Bhagwan D, Awasthi OP, Nainwal NC. Potentiality of ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) cultivars for candy making. Prog Hortic. 1992;24:74–8.
  7. 7. Tiwari RJ, Banafar RNS. Studies on the nutritive constituents, yield and yield attributing characters in some ber (Ziziphus jujuba) genotypes. Indian J Plant Physiol. 1995;38:88–9.
  8. 8. Pareek OP. The ber. New Delhi: Indian Council of Agricultural Research; 1983.
  9. 9. Abbas MF, Al-Niami JH, Al-Ami RF. Some physiological characteristics of fruits of jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi L. Wild.) at different stages of maturity. J Hortic Sci. 1988;63:337–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/14620316.1988.11515867
  10. 10. Pareek S, Fageria MS, Dhaka RS. Performance of ber genotypes under arid condition. Curr Agric. 2002;26:63–5.
  11. 11. Bal JS. A note on sugars and amino acids in ripe ber. Prog Hortic. 1981;13:41–2.
  12. 12. Arnon DI. Copper enzymes in isolated chloroplasts. Polyphenoloxidease in Beta vulgaris. Plant Physiol. 1949;24(1):1-15. https://doi:10.1104/pp.24.1.1
  13. 13. AOAC. Official methods of analysis. Washington (DC): Association of Official Analytical Chemists; 1986.
  14. 14. Ranganna S, Laxminarayan S. Non enzymatic discolouration in dried cabbage, ascorbic acid-amino acid interactions. J Agric Food Chem. 1968;16:529–33. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf60157a013
  15. 15. Rangana S. Handbook of analysis and quality control for fruit and vegetable products. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. Ltd.; 1986. p.190–210.
  16. 16. Swain T, Hills WE. The phenolic constituents of Prunus domestica L. The quantitative analysis of phenolic compounds. J Sci Food Agric. 1959;10:63–8. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.2740100110
  17. 17. Basak UC, Das AB, Das P. Chlorophyll, carotenoids, protein and secondary metabolites in leaves of 14 species of mangroves. Bull Mar Sci. 1996;58:654–9.
  18. 18. Tamboli FA, More HN, Bhandugare SS, Patil AS, Jadhav NR, Killedar SG, et al. Estimation of total carbohydrate content by phenol sulphuric acid method from Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms. Asian J Res Chem. 2020;13(5):357–9. https://doi.org/10.5958/0974-4150.2020.00067.X
  19. 19. Rangana S. Handbook of analysis and quality control for fruit and vegetable products. 2nd ed. 10th reprint. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd.; 2003.
  20. 20. Lindsay WL, Norwell WA. Development of a DTPA soil test for Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu. Soil Sci Soc Am J. 1978;42:421–8. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1978.03615995004200030009x
  21. 21. Jackson RD, Kimball BA, Reginato RJ, Nakayama FS. Diurnal soil water evaporation: Time-depth-flux patterns. Soil Sci Soc Am J. 1973;37(4):505–9. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1973.03615995003700040014x
  22. 22. Panse VG, Sukhatme PV. Statistical methods for agricultural workers. 4th ed. New Delhi: Indian Council of Agricultural Research; 1989. p. 359.
  23. 23. Mahajan BVC, Dhillon SB. Evaluation of different cultivars of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) under sub-mountainous regions of Punjab. Haryana J Hort Sci. 2000;29:184.
  24. 24. Mishra G. Genetic evaluation of wild pomegranate germplasm for various pomological traits [MSc thesis]. Nauni (Solan): Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry; 2015.
  25. 25. Salunkhe DK, Desai BB. Postharvest biotechnology of fruit. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press; 1984.
  26. 26. Stahl AC, Camp AF. Citrus fruits. In: Hulme AC, editor. The biochemistry of fruits and their products. Vol. 2. London: Academic Press; 1971. p.107–69.
  27. 27. Jawanda JS, Bal JS. A comparative study on growth and development of ZG-2 and Kaithli cultivars of ber. Punjab Hortic J. 1980;20:41–6.
  28. 28. Devi P, Gautam RKS, Singh J, Maurya SK, Chaudhary A. Effect of foliar application of NAA, GA₃ and zinc sulphate on fruit drop, growth and yield of ber (Zizyphus mauritiana Lamk.) cv. Banarasi Karaka. Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci. 2019;8(1):1679–83. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2019.801.177
  29. 29. Mahapatra AK, Panda CP. Wild edible fruit diversity and its significance in the livelihood of indigenous tribals: Evidence from eastern India. Food Secur. 2012;4(2):219–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-012-0186-z
  30. 30. Deng M, Deng Y, Deng Y, Lei L, Wei LM, Zhang FZ, et al. Effect of storage conditions on phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity of litchi pericarp. Molecules. 2018;23(9):2276. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23092276

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.