An Analysis of Health Benefits of Plums

Abstract

The plum (Prunus sp.) is a member of the Rosaceae, or apple family. Despite the fact that plums are a general term for a variety of fruits, only two kinds, European plums (Prunus domestica) and Japanese plums (Prunus salicina), are widely cultivated throughout the globe. While both kinds are primarily eaten as fresh fruit, European plums may also be dried to produce ‘prunes' or ‘dried plums,' which are high in health-promoting components such as antioxidants, anthocyanins, and soluble fibers. In addition to drying, both plums are also turned into jam, jelly, and spread, allowing them to be used throughout the year. Plums are often grafted for propagation, but they also have severe incompatibility problems, necessitating the planting of several cultivars to guarantee a decent yield. Plum breeding is done at a number of governmental institutes as well as by a few private breeders. The main goals of these breeding projects are to prolong the growing season and enhance the size and shelf life of crops after harvest. Several more similar fruits are cultivated commercially in various areas of the globe, in addition to these "real plums." Damsons (Prunus insititia), interspecific plum hybrids, and golden European plums are among them.