Nutritional Composition, Phytochemistry and Medicinal Use of Quince (Cydonia oblonga Miller) with Emphasis on its Processed and Fortified Food Products

Quince (Cydonia oblonga Miller) is a health promoting simple pome fruit which belongs to family Rosaceae. It’s a native of Iran and Turkey. In India its production is limited to Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Quince is a low fat fruit and is considered to be a rich source of bioactive compounds, especially antioxidants and nutritional compounds. Several studies have revealed that quince fruit is a good and low-cost natural source of phenolic acids and flavonoids, and it contains high amount of cell wall polysaccharide which makes it a potential source of dietary fibres and pectin. Besides it is an abundant source of minerals such as potassium, phosphorus and calcium. The phytochemical composition of quince has also been extensively investigated. It contains a considerable amount of caffeoylquinic acids, several kaempferol and quercetin glycosides. Quince has conventionally been used as medicinal fruit. The ethno-botanical study exposed that quince has been used to treat sore throat, cough, pneumonia, intestinal discomfort and lung diseases. Some other effects such as antiseptic, hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory have also been reported. Quince is an astringent and a tough fruit which makes it inedible when unprocessed. As a result, quince is ameliorated by processing it into a variety of products such as candy, jam, jelly, marmalade etc. Quince has also been fortified into many products such as beers and yogurts due to its aromatic and functional properties. Besides this quince seed mucilage, a hydrocolloid can also be used as a bulking agent and a thickener in food products. Thus it can be said that the multifarious effects of quince fruit in terms of nutrients, phytochemicals and anti-oxidants make it possible choice both in the pharmaceutical and food industries.