International Journal for Pharmaceutical Research Scholars (IJPRS) V-3, I-1, 2014 ISSN No: 2277 - 7873 RESEARCH ARTICLE © Copyright reserved by IJPRS Impact Factor = 1.0285 131 Mangrove Fruit Products: A Search for Alternative Livelihood for Island Dwellers of Lower Gangetic Delta Prosenjit Pramanick* 1 , Sufia Zaman 4 , Debabrata Bera 2 , A. K. Raha 3 , Abhijit Mitra 4 1 Department of Oceanography, Techno India University, Salt Lake Campus, Kolkata 700 091, India. 2 Department of Food Technology, Techno India, Salt Lake Campus, Kolkata 700 091, India. 3 Department of Forest and Environmental Science, Techno India University, Salt Lake Campus, Kolkata 700 091, India. 4 Department of Marine Science, University of Calcutta, 35 B.C. Road, Kolkata 700 019, West Bengal, India; Also attached to Techno India University, Salt Lake Campus, Kolkata 700 091, India. Manuscript No: IJPRS/V3/I1/00041, Received On: 24/01/2014, Accepted On: 27/01/2014 ABSTRACT Sonneratia apetala is a common mangrove tree in the Indian Sundarbans located at the apex of Bay of Bengal in the lower Gangetic delta region. The fruit of this species appears during the monsoon season and is extensively consumed by the island dwellers of Sundarbans. Pulp and jelly prepared from the fruit pulp extract were analyzed for vitamin C, Mg, Na, K, Ca, Cu, Co, Mo and Zn with the objective to generate alternative livelihood for Sundarban people who are the worst sufferers of climate change related impacts in the Indian sub-continent. The results of the fruit products were compared with the jelly prepared from other edible fruits to evaluate the nutritional status of the present product. Vitamin C of the fruit pulp and jelly were significantly higher than other citrus fruits. The major and trace elements of the jelly were well within the range of accepted level for human consumption. A master plan for creating back up nurseries of S. apetala in lower Gangetic delta complex can open up and sustain a mangrove based alternative livelihood for Sundarban people. KEYWORDS Sonneratia Apetala, Vitamin C, Major Elements, Trace Elements INTRODUCTION Estimation of vitamin C, major elements and essential trace elements of fruit and fruit products is a growing trend in nutritional studies throughout the world. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and has great role to prevent cough and cold. Major elements have significant role in human metabolism and control the normal functioning of body. Trace elements don’t provide any calories, but play an important role in the metabolic regulation in human body by maintaining the body pH, osmotic regularity and used as coenzyme which regularize the metabolic action. 1 Elemental composition of fruits and vegetables depend on different factors e.g. genetic, weather, soil and the harvesting stage of maturity. Trace elements are the natural constituents of soil and due to variation of environmental condition their uptake varies through root to the shoot. 2 In Indian Sundarbans significant variation of carbon content in mangrove trees due to variations of salinity and other edaphic factors has been reported by several researchers. 3-6 *Address for Correspondence: Prosenjit Pramanick Techno India University, Salt Lake Campus, Kolkata 700 091, West Bengal, India. E-Mail Id: ppramanick660@gmail.com