Biochemical Constituents and Nutritive Evaluation of Some Less Known Wild Edible Plants from Senapati District, Manipur, India

Abstract

Ten lesser known wild edible plants (WEPs) from Senapati District, Manipur, were analyzed for their proximate composition and mineral content. The study revealed that different WEPs have crude fat content that ranged between 0.41 - 21.5%, total sugar was found to be between 2.00 - 59.00%, total soluble protein between 1.40 - 8.0% and total amino acids between 1.50 - 5.25 mg/100 g respectively, whereas the highest and the lowest crude protein contents were recorded in H. macrocarpa (27.56%) and S. suaveolens (4.37%) respectively. Among the micronutrients, the highest amounts of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and Co were recorded in C. hirsuta (155.50 mg/100 g), E. acuminata (105.50 mg/100 g), S. suaveolens (76.50 mg/100 g in Zn and 24.0 mg/100 g in Cu) and R. ellipticum (3.0 mg/100 g), while the lowest amounts were recorded in E. phaseoloides (61.50 mg/100 g), O. indicum (1 mg/100 g), E. acuminate (17.50 mg/100 g) and C. montana (0.5 mg/100 g) respectively. Higher amounts of Ca and Mg were observed in all the plants studied, ranging from 458 to 765 mg/100 g in Ca and 148.50 to 995.0 mg/100 g in Mg. E. lineolatum indicated the highest amount of Ca by containing 765.0 mg/100 g, while A. ciliata recorded the highest value of Mg by containing 995.0 mg/100 g. The nutritive values of the ten WEPs were found to be comparable or even higher than the conventional vegetables, with respect to proteins and minerals, especially for Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and Zn respectively.