Aim: The State of Assam is gifted with diverse flora including thousands of wild edible plants. The consumption of a large variety of wild plants by Bodos, an ethnic group and dominant inhabitant of Bodoland Territorial Area Districts of Assam of NorthEast India, is a common practice since time immemorial. The objective of this study was to investigate the nutritional values of wild edible plants consumed by the Bodos of this region. Materials and Methods: In this study, twelve wild edible plants viz. Blumea lanceolaria (Roxb.) Druce, Stellaria media (L.), Glinus oppositifolius (L.) Aug. DC., Cryptolepis sinensis (Lour) Merr., Polygonum perfoliatum L., Oenanthe javanica (Blume) DC., Tetrastigma angustifolium (Roxb.), Antidesma acidum Retz., Drymaria cordata (L.) Willd.ex Schult., Eryngium foetidum L., Lippia javanica (Burm.f.) Spreng. and Enhydra fluctuans Lour. consumed by the Bodos were selected, scientifically identified and their proximate and vitamin C contents were determined using standard food analysis methods. Results: Proximate compositions were presented and the vitamin C content was found highest in T. angustifolium (79.06 ± 0.02 mg) and lowest in A. acidum (11.39 ± 0.0002 mg). All the results were based on 100 g fresh weight of the sample. Conclusion: In the present study, all the twelve plants have shown variable values of proximate composition and vitamin C contents. These plants could be a promising alternate food sources which are easily available, affordable and could provide several health benefits on consumption.

BACKGROUND: Plants are known to contain minerals and many bioactive compounds which provide several health benefits on consumption. OBJECTIVE:The aim of present study was to assess the nutritional composition, phytochemical constituents and antioxidant activities of six wild edible plants consumed by the Bodos of North-East India and the plants are Sphenoclea zeylanica, Cardamine hirsuta, Natsiatum herpeticum, Sphaerantus peguensis, Melothria perpusilla, and Persicaria chinensis. METHODS: Proximate composition of the plant was determined following AOAC method. Mineral contents were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. Phytochemical screening of methanol extracts were performed following standard procedures and several assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the plants. RESULTS:The investigation showed that all the six plants have variable quantities of proximate and mineral compositions. The phytochemical screening of methanol extracts revealed the presence of a number of medicinally active secondary metabolites. Among the six wild edible plants, M. perpusilla displayed a better antioxidant property showing the strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity, maximum FRAP value, highest phenolic and flavonoid contents. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this investigation indicate that these wild edible plants are good sources of minerals and natural antioxidants to be incorporated as functional ingredients of food.

The aim of this study was to examine the phytochemicals and antioxidant properties of eleven wild edible plants from Assam of North-East India. The phytochemical study indicated the presence of several medicinally active compounds in the methanolic extracts of plants. Evaluation of antioxidant activities were done by DPPH, ABTS, H 2 O 2 and FRAP assays. The investigation revealed antioxidant activities with DPPH IC 50 value ranging from 135.0 ± 1.49 g/mL (L. javanica) to 516.34 ± 2.52 g/mL (B. lanceolaria), ABTS IC 50 value from 74.3 ± 0.29 g/mL (T. angustifolium) to 437.77 ± 3.93 g/mL (D. cordata), H 2 O 2 IC 50 value from 20.37 ± 0.01 g/mL (B. lanceolaria) to 376.75 ± 14.12 g/mL (P. perfoliatum), and the FRAP value from 64.76 ± 7.43 M TE/g (D. cordata) to 799.28 ± 7.14 M TE/g (L. javanica). The maximum total phenolic content (TPC) was obtained in the extract of E. fluctuans (269.49 ± 2.96 mg GAE/g dry extract) and the lowest being in C. sinensis (26.96 ± 9.81 mg GAE/g dry extract). S. media extract had the lowest (0.23 ± 0.10 mg QE/g dry extract) total flavonoid content (TFC) and the maximum being in P. perfoliatum (4.34 ± 1.03 mg QE/g dry extract). Pearson's correlation study of the plants indicated a strong positive correlation of DPPH assay with ABTS assay. A positive correlation of FRAP with TFC, H 2 O 2 with FRAP, TPC and TFC, and TPC with TFC were also seen in this study. These plants could be supportive in stopping or slowing the growth of oxidative stress related diseases.

No abstract

The present study was designed to evaluate the amino acid profiles and anti-nutritional contents of six wild vegetables viz. Cardamine hirsuta, Melothria perpusilla, Cryptolepis sinensis, Persicaria chinensis, Lippia javanica and Polygonum perfoliatum from Assam, India. The total amino acid detected was found the highest in P. chinensis as 25.92 mg/g dry weight (DW) followed by P. perfoliatum (19.68 mg/g DW) and M. perpusilla (14.57 mg/g DW), and the lowest amino acid was observed in L. javanica (0.62 mg/g DW). However, the highest nonessential amino acids (NEAA) were detected in P. perfoliatum (3.89 mg/g DW). Among the NEAA, aspartic acid and glutamic acid were detected in all the six plant species which ranged from 0.01 to 0.33 mg/g DW and 0.02 to o.75 mg/g DW, respectively. In this study, the highest concentration of essential amino acids (EAA) was detected in C. hirsuta (1.72 mg/g DW) followed by M. perpusilla (0.95 mg/g DW) and P. chinensis (0.67 mg/g DW). Besides EAA and NEAA, some other amino acids such as phosphoserine, OH-proline, amino adipic acid, phosphoenolamine, and taurine are the most common which were detected. In the study, variable amounts of anti-nutritional contents were found and discussed herein.