Low Calorie Natural Sweetener: Monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii)

According to World Health Organization (WHO) report, worldwide 346 million people are diabetic, and India has about 62.4 million people with type 2 diabetes. Thus, the production of sugar substitutes, particularly non-nutritive natural sweeteners, is the need of the hour and a major challenge for scientists. Monk fruit is known now throughout the world for its intense sweet taste, and it has been used as a non-caloric natural sweetener. The sweet taste of monk fruit results from the content of a group of cucurbitane-type triterpene glycosides known as mogrosides, and the extracted mixture of mogrosides is about 300 times sweeter than sucrose.

The global monk fruit sugar market is expected to reach USD 379 million and register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5% by 2026.

Societal relevant Agrotechnology

• CSIR-IHBT, Palampur has introduced seed of monk fruit from China through ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi (Import Permit No.168/2017)
• Quality planting material
• Agronomic practices
• Post-harvest management