The present investigation was conducted to evaluate thevariation in nutritive contents inwild-growing fruits ofEmblica officinalis. Fruits ofE. officinaliswere collected from twenty-eight naturally growing populations in different parts of Garhwal-Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India.Severalfruitpropertiesincluding number of fruits kg(-1), fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit length, fruit volume, pulp weight pulp stone ratio, specific gravity, moisture percent, total soluble solid, malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, vitamin C,andsugar contents were analyzed toobserve the variationsamong different populations. The results of the study revealed that the average fruit weight varied significantly (P < .05) from 2.70 to 13.61 g.Total soluble solids, malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, and vitamin Cwere found rangedbetween 10.68 and 21.42 degrees Brix; 1.43 and 3.78%; 1.37 and 3.61%; 3.21 and 8.46%and191.13 and 495.21 mg 100 g(1), respectively). Fruit weight was the most variable parameter among the physical characteristics. Vitamin C and organic acid contents were highly variable among different populations. Latitude and longitude had significant inverse relationship with organic acids. However, altitude did not affect the physicochemical properties. The variability in the studied traits appeared to be geographically structured and would be mainly controlled genetically. The natural variation in wild fruit populations had given great opportunity to understand the variability in physical and chemical properties of fruit and response to biotic and abiotic stresses.
