Phytochemical and Nutritional Aspects of Wild Edible Plants from Shivalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh: A Review

Year : 2024 | Volume : | : | Page : –
By

Neha Thakur,

Nitesh Kumar,

Ruchika Devi,

Sunita Saklani,

Rohit Puri,

  1. Research Scholar, Department of Biosciences, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
  2. Assistant Professor, Department of Biosciences, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
  3. Research Scholar, Department of Biosciences, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
  4. Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, Sidharth Government College, Nadaun, Himachal Pradesh, India
  5. Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, S.G.G.S. Khalsa College Mahilpur, Distt Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India

Abstract

The Shivalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh, a region known for its rich biodiversity, is home to a wide variety of wild edible plants (WEPs) that have long been integral to the diet and health practices of local tribal communities. These plants have been prized for generations not just for their culinary applications but also for their important nutritional and therapeutic qualities. The current study delves into the phytochemical and nutritional profiles of these WEPs, uncovering the presence of numerous bioactive substances that support their health benefits. Phytochemical analysis reveals that many WEPs from the Shivalik Hills contain substantial amounts of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and phenols. These substances are well known for their strong antioxidant capabilities, which aid in scavenging damaging free radicals from the body and lowering oxidative stress and the hazards it entails, including aging and chronic illnesses. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory properties of these phytochemicals play a crucial role in managing and preventing inflammatory conditions, further highlighting their medicinal value. In addition to their phytochemical richness, these wild edible plants are also nutritionally dense. They are superior resources of essential nutrients, including vitamins (such as vitamins C and A), proteins, and dietary fibers. The high nutrient content of these plants makes them invaluable in addressing nutritional deficiencies, particularly in regions where conventional food sources may be limited or where malnutrition is a concern. The dietary fibers in these plants also promote digestive health, contributing to overall well-being.

Keywords: Edible plant, Flavonoid, phenol, moisture, folk uses

How to cite this article:
Neha Thakur, Nitesh Kumar, Ruchika Devi, Sunita Saklani, Rohit Puri. Phytochemical and Nutritional Aspects of Wild Edible Plants from Shivalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh: A Review. Research & Reviews : Journal of Ecology. 2024; ():-.
How to cite this URL:
Neha Thakur, Nitesh Kumar, Ruchika Devi, Sunita Saklani, Rohit Puri. Phytochemical and Nutritional Aspects of Wild Edible Plants from Shivalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh: A Review. Research & Reviews : Journal of Ecology. 2024; ():-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/rrjoe/article=2024/view=176320


Full Text PDF for email

References

  1. Ahmad, S., Ullah, F., Ayaz, M., Ahmad, A., Sadiq, A., & Mohani, S. N.-U.-H. (2019). Nutritional and medicinal aspects of Rumex hastatus D. Don along with in vitro anti-diabetic activity. International journal of food properties, 22(1), 1733-1748.
  2. Al-Qahtani, J., Abbasi, A., Aati, H. Y., Al-Taweel, A., Al-Abdali, A., Aati, S., Yanbawi, A. N., Khan, M. A., Ghalloo, B. A., & Anwar, M. (2023). Phytochemical, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, thrombolytic, anticancer activities, and in silico studies of Ficus palmata Forssk. Arabian Journal of Chemistry, 16(2), 104455.
  3. Alaca, K., Okumuş, E., Bakkalbaşi, E., & Javidipour, I. (2021). Phytochemicals and antioxidant activities of twelve edible wild plants from Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. Food Science and Technology, 42, e18021.
  4. Anjum, N., Ridwan, Q., Akhter, F., & Hanief, M. (2023). Phytochemistry and therapeutic potential of Berberis lycium Royle; an endangered species of Himalayan region. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 43(4), 577-584.
  5. Bahukhandi , Attri, D. C., Mehra, T., & Bhatt, I. D. (2023). Fragaria spp.(Fragaria indica, Fragaria nubicola). In Himalayan Fruits and Berries (pp. 183-196). Elsevier.
  6. Basumatary, S., & Narzary, H. (2017). Nutritional value, phytochemicals and antioxidant property of six wild edible plants consumed by the Bodos of North-East India. Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 10(3), 259-271.
  7. Bhattacharjee, S., Waqar, A., Barua, K., Das, A., Bhowmik, S., & Debi, S. R. (2018). Phytochemical and pharmacological evaluation of methanolic extract of Lathyrus sativus L. seeds. Clinical Phytoscience, 4, 1-9.
  8. Bouhrim, M., Daoudi, N. E., Ouassou, H., Benoutman, A., Loukili, E. H., Ziyyat, A., Mekhfi, H., Legssyer, A., Aziz, M., & Bnouham, M. (2020). Phenolic content and antioxidant, antihyperlipidemic, and antidiabetogenic effects of Opuntia dillenii seed oil. The Scientific World Journal, 2020(1), 5717052.
  9. Chauhan, E. S., Singh, A., & Tiwari, A. (2017). Comparative studies on nutritional analysis and phytochemical screening of Bombax ceiba bark and seeds powder. J Med Plant Stud, 5, 129-132.
  10. Dogra, K. S., Kohli, R., & Sood, S. (2009). An assessment and impact of three invasive species in the Shivalik hills of Himachal Pradesh, India. International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation, 1(1), 4-10.
  11. Dogra, K. S., Sood, S. K., Dobhal, P. K., & Kumar, S. (2009). Comparison of understorey vegetation in exotic and indigenous tree plantations in Shivalik Hills of NW Indian Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh). Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment, 1(5), 130-136.
  12. Ercisli, S., & Orhan, E. (2007). Chemical composition of white (Morus alba), red (Morus rubra) and black (Morus nigra) mulberry fruits. Food chemistry, 103(4), 1380-1384.
  13. Getachew, G. A., Asfaw, Z., Singh, V., Woldu, Z., Baidu-Forson, J., & Bhattacharya, S. (2013). Dietary values of wild and semi-wild edible plants in Southern Ethiopia. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 13(2).
  14. Haq, S. M., Hassan, M., Jan, H. A., Al-Ghamdi, A. A., Ahmad, K., & Abbasi, A. M. (2022). Traditions for future cross-national food security—Food and foraging practices among different native communities in the Western Himalayas. Biology, 11(3), 455.
  15. Hasan, N., Ahmad, N., Zohrameena, S., Khalid, M., & Akhtar, J. (2016). Asparagus racemosus: for medicinal uses & pharmacological actions. International Journal of Advanced Research, 4(3), 259-267.
  16. Joshi, Y., Joshi, A. K., Prasad, N., & Juyal, D. (2014). A review on Ficus palmata (wild himalayan fig). The journal of phytopharmacology, 3(5), 374-377.
  17. Khan, H., Jan, S. A., Javed, M., Shaheen, R., Khan, Z., Ahmad, A., Safi, S. Z., & Imran, M. (2016). Nutritional composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of selected wild edible plants. Journal of food biochemistry, 40(1), 61-70.
  18. Kishor, A., Kumar, A., Tomer, V., Kumar, V., & Gupta, K. (2018). Wild food plants of Himachal Pradesh: A review. Plant Archives, 18(2), 2737-2751.
  19. Kumar, S. (2019). Wild Edible Plants Consumed by Rural Communities in District Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, India. Journal of Biological and Chemical Chronicles, 5(2), 1-11.
  20. Kumar, V., Kaur, J., Chawla, R., Mohi-ud-din, R., & Mir, R. H. (2022). Ethno-Botanical and Economic Significance of Edible Plants Used as Food by Tribal Community of the Western Himalaya. In Edible Plants in Health and Diseases: Volume 1: Cultural, Practical and Economic Value (pp. 259-283). Springer.
  21. Łochyńska, M. (2015). Energy and nutritional properties of the white mulberry (Morus alba L.). Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology A, 5(9), 709-716.
  22. Loukili, E. H., Merzouki, M., Taibi, M., Elbouzidi, A., Hammouti, B., Yadav, K. K., Khalid, M., Addi, M., Ramdani, M., & Kumar, P. (2024). Phytochemical, biological, and nutritional properties of the prickly pear, Opuntia dillenii: A review. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 32(10), 102167.
  23. Mehra, N., & Tandon, S. (2021). Traditional uses, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Ficus auriculata: A review. Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics, 11(3), 163-169.
  24. Mishra, J. N., & Verma, N. K. (2017). Asparagus racemosus: Chemical constituents and pharmacological activities—A review. J. Biomed. Pharm. Sci, 4, 207-213.
  25. Narzary, H., Islary, A., & Basumatary, S. (2016). Phytochemicals and antioxidant properties of eleven wild edible plants from Assam, India. Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 9(3), 191-201.
  26. Nazir, N., Zahoor, M., & Nisar, M. (2020). A review on traditional uses and pharmacological importance of genus Elaeagnus species. The Botanical Review, 86, 247-280.
  27. Nesamvuni, C., Steyn, N., & Potgieter, M. (2001). Nutritional value of wild, leafy plants consumed by the Vhavenda. South African Journal of Science, 97(1), 51-54.
  28. Ojiako, E. (2014). Phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial screening of Moringa oleifera leaves extract. The International Journal of Engineering and Science, 3(3), 32-35.
  29. Ozen, T., Yenigun, S., Altun, M., & Demirtas, I. (2017). Phytochemical Constituents, ChEs and Urease Inhibitions, Antiproliferative and Antioxidant Properties of Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb. Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening, 20(6), 559-578.
  30. Pandey, V., Chauhan, V., Pandey, V., Upadhyaya, P., & Kopp, O. R. (2019). Moringa oleifera Lam.: a biofunctional edible plant from India, phytochemistry and medicinal properties. Journal of Plant Studies, 8(1), 10-19.
  31. Pathak, R., Pant, V., Negi, V. S., Bhatt, I. D., & Belwal, T. (2023). Introduction to Himalayan region and wild edible diversity. In Himalayan Fruits and Berries (pp. 1-12). Elsevier.
  32. Raj, V., Kumar, A., Kumar, B., Rani, S., & Sharma, C. (2015). Plant Opuntia dillenii: A review on its traditional uses, phytochemical and pharmacological properties. EC Pharm. Sci, 1, 29-43.
  33. Rapaka, G., Bollavarapu, A., & Tamanam, R. (2016). Phytochemical evaluation and HPTLC analysis of Phoenix sylvestris fruit extract at two ripening stages. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 7(12), 5067-5071.
  34. Ruwali, P., & Pateliya, S. (2019). The Difference of Solvent Polarity to Qualitative and Quantitative Phytochemical Contents and Antioxidant Activity of Ficus roxburghii Wall. Leaves and Fruits Extracts. J. Curr. Microbiol. App. Sci, 8(4), 1724-1741.
  35. Sahreen, S., Khan, M. R., Khan, R. A., & Hadda, T. B. (2015). Evaluation of phytochemical content, antimicrobial, cytotoxic and antitumor activities of extract from Rumex hastatus D. Don roots. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 15, 1-6.
  36. Salvi, J. (2012). Chemical Composition And Nutritive Value Of Sap Of Phoenix sylvestris Roxb. Electronic Journal of Environmental, Agricultural and Food Chemistry (EJEAFChe), 11(06), 578-583.
  37. Shukla, R., Nandan, K., Shukla, A., & Kaur, A. (2020). Phytochemical analysis and nutritive value of Bombax ceiba Linn.(petals). Plant Archives (09725210), 20(1).
  38. Singh, B., Sultan, P., Hassan, Q. P., Gairola, S., & Bedi, Y. S. (2016). Ethnobotany, traditional knowledge, and diversity of wild edible plants and fungi: a case study in the Bandipora district of Kashmir Himalaya, India. Journal of Herbs, Spices & Medicinal Plants, 22(3), 247-278.
  39. Sood, P., Modgil, R., & Sood, M. (2010). Physico-chemical and nutritional evaluation of indigenous wild fruit Kasmal, Berberis lycium Royle.
  40. Sundriyal, M., & Sundriyal, d. C. (2001). Wild edible plants of the Sikkim Himalaya: Nutritive values of selected species. Economic botany, 55, 377-390.
  41. Tamasi, A., Shoge, M. O., Adegboyega, T., & Chukwuma, E. (2021). Phytochemical analysis and in-vitro antimicrobial screening of the leaf extract of Senna occidentalis (Fabaceae). Asian Journal of Natural Product Biochemistry, 19(2).
  42. Tardío, J., Pardo-de-Santayana, M., & Morales, R. (2006). Ethnobotanical review of wild edible plants in Spain. Botanical journal of the Linnean society, 152(1), 27-71.
  43. Valdez-Solana, M. A., Mejía-García, V. Y., Téllez-Valencia, A., García-Arenas, G., Salas-Pacheco, J., Alba-Romero, J. J., & Sierra-Campos, E. (2015). Nutritional content and elemental and phytochemical analyses of Moringa oleifera grown in Mexico. Journal of Chemistry, 2015(1), 860381.
  44. Vivek, S., & Prakash, S. (2018). Analysis of nutrient composition and phytochemicals of wild yams Dioscorea pentaphylla L. and Dioscorea oppositifolia Griseb. Brazilian Journal of Biological Sciences, 5(10), 427-432.
  45. Williams, E. T., Timothy, N., & Tugga, U. A. (2019). Chemical composition and nutritional value of Cassia occidentalis seeds. International Journal of Biochemistry Research & Review, 27(3), 1-8.
Ahead of Print Subscription Review Article
Volume
Received August 28, 2024
Accepted September 20, 2024
Published September 30, 2024
Views: 80

Check Our other Platform for Workshops in the field of AI, Biotechnology & Nanotechnology.
Learn more
Check Out Platform for Webinars in the field of AI, Biotech. & Nanotech.
Learn more