Nutritive values of wild edible fruits, berries, nuts, roots and spices consumed by the Khasi tribes of India

• Published in: Ecology of food and nutrition 2005-05, Vol.44 (3), p.207-223
• Main Authors: Agrahar-Murugkar, D, Subbulakshmi, G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: berries; Biological and medical sciences; Feeding. Feeding behavior; fruits; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Khasi tribals; nutrient content; nutritional content; nutritive value; nuts; roots; traditional foods; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Wild edibles; wild foods; wild plants
• ISSN: 0367-0244; 1543-5237
• DOI: 10.1080/03670240590953025

Fourteen wild edible berries, fruits, roots, and nuts consumed by the Khasi tribe of Meghalaya were botanically identified and analyzed for their nutrient contents in terms of macronutrients, minerals, and vitamins. The study revealed that Coix lachryma jobi, a nut, was rich in protein (13.3 g %), Zanthoxylum acanthopodium a spice, rich in fat (20.9 g %), and Solanum indicum a berry, rich in crude fiber (47.2 g %). Castanopsis indica a nut, contained good amounts of calcium (1540 mg %), Kaempfaria galanga a root, considerable amounts of iron (69.91 mg %) and zinc (8.4 mg %), and Vangeria spinosaa fruit, a good amount of zinc (23.0 mg %). The berry Solanum indicum contained 826.4 mg % of vitamin C, whereas Prunus nepalensis contained beta-carotene (257.1 microgram %) and vitamin C (608.9 mg %). It can be concluded that the wild edibles eaten by the Khasi are a good source of nutrients, and considering their low cost and easy availability, need to be popularized and recommended for commercial exploitation.