Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) in health and disease: a critical review

Abstract

Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (Family Moraceae), is a tropical tree, native to India and common in Asia, Africa, and several regions in South America. The fruit is commonly known as jackfruit which is one of the largest edible fruits in the world. Jackfruits comprises a wide range of nutrients, including minerals, carbohydrates, volatile compounds, proteins, and vitamins. The fruit, bark, leaves, and roots are endowed with therapeutic attributes and are utilized in the many traditional medicinal systems for the management of various ailments. Fruit and seeds are commonly used to prepare various food items, including sauce, ice creams, jams, jellies, and marmalades. Due to unique texture, jackfruit is becoming a popular meat substitute. Based on preclinical studies, jackfruit exhibits antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-melanin, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antiviral, anthelmintic, wound-healing, and antineoplastic activities. Clinical studies reveal that the leaves possess antidiabetic action in healthy and insulin-independent diabetic individuals. Despite numerous health benefits, regrettably, jackfruit has not been properly utilized in a marketable scale in areas where it is produced. This review delivers an updated, comprehensive, and critical evaluation on the nutritional value, phytochemical profiling, pharmacological attributes and underlying mechanisms of action to explore the full potential of jackfruit in health and disease.

Keywords:

• Artocarpus heterophyllus
• phytochemistry
• pharmacological activities
• lectins
• prenylated compounds
• value-added products

Acknowledgements

A.G. acknowledges the financial assistance in the form of University Grant Commission-Combined Research Entrance Test fellowship. The Indian authors also acknowledge the help of University Grant Commission-Special Assistance Programme and Department of Science and Technology-Fund for Improvement of Science and Technology Infrastructure in Higher Educational Institutions facilities of Department of Biochemistry, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, India.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Author contribution

A.B. and A.G. conceptualized the idea. A.G. performed the literature search and wrote the original draft of the manuscript. A.M. edited the manuscript. A.B. and A.K.P. critically reviewed and revised the manuscript. A.B. supervised the project.

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.