Aegle marmelos, a tree native to India also known as Bengal quince or stone apple, is a large tree, sacred by Hindus, known to produce one of the most commonly used fruits in Ayurvedic treatments as well as other traditional systems of medicine, the bael fruit. The bael fruit, that can be eaten either fresh or dried, has a smooth shell and tastes to marmelade, smelling of roses.Bael pulp can be made into different refreshing drinks, after being sweetened. Some are known by their local name as for example sharbat (Hindi) or Bela pana.Aegle marmelos has also demonstrated certain effectiveness as antibacterial agent against strains of Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus (Gram Positive), Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella paratyphi A and Salmonella paratyphi B (Gram Negative), showing quite significant results against all tested bacterial strains.
