Mangifera is a genus of flowering plants in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae. It contains approximately 69 species, with the best-known being the Common Mango (Mangifera indica). The center of diversity of the genus is in the Malesian ecoregion of Southeast Asia; particularly in Sumatra, Borneo, and the Malay peninsula.[3][4] They are generally canopy trees in lowland rainforests, reaching a height of 30–40 m (98–131 ft).[5]
Mangifera species are widely cultivated in Asia and elsewhere. More than 27 species in the genus bear edible, fleshy fruits, especially the Common Mango (M. indica). Others, such as M. foetida, yield astringent fruits that can be eaten pickled.[6]
Mango wastes, such as the seed kernel and peel, have high functional and nutritional potential. Mango seed contains important bioactive compounds that have high antioxidant activity, lipids that have acceptable physical and chemical characteristics (free of trans fatty acids), and a high protein content.[7] The mango peel contains considerable amounts of antioxidants and dietary fiber.[8]
The earliest fossil species thought to be related to Mangifera is Eomangiferophyllum damalgiriense from the upper Paleocene of northeastern India. Leaves have also been reported from the Paleocene of Japan and the Eocene of Germany. Leaf compressions with a close affinity to Mangifera have been collected from Oligocene or early Miocene sediments in northern Thailand.[9][10]