Identification of wild edible plants used by the Orang Asli, indigenous peoples of the Malay Peninsula

Abstract

BackgroundThis research focused on the different varieties of wild edible plants (WEPs) actively utilized by the Orang Asli of Malaysia and their medicinal values. The Orang Asli have been relying on these plants for their sustenance and wellbeing. However, with environmental degradation, many of these wild edibles are slowly becoming sparse, which then has a spillover effect and has resulted in the erasure of knowledge. Therefore, this research paper also aims to highlight the naming system utilized by the Orang Asli, the gender/age gap and the medicinal properties of these wild edible plants.MethodsThis research was conducted to identify the important wild edibles used among the Orang Asli, using both semi-structured and field interviews, as well as ethnobotanical appraisal methods. With the assistance of 24 informants, a total of nine wild edible plants were identified based on their importance as food and medicine for the Orang Asli groups in three different Semai settlements.Results and discussionFrom the results obtained, the wild edibles identified in the study have potential medicinal value and have been used by the Orang Asli for many generations. Also, based on my results, older Orang Asli can potentially serve as a repository of knowledge of wild edible plants within their settlements, as they were more informed than young people. However, there is little remaining knowledge of their medicinal uses in Telimau; elder women retain more knowledge than elder men in Bukit Terang, and the greatest knowledge retention for both young and old is seen in the more remote settlement of Kampung Sat.ConclusionThis research documents the medicinal uses of these wild edibles, and may provide a starting point for further studies on these species and encourage conservation initiatives, in addition to helping safeguard the indigenous knowledge and the distinct cultural identities of the Orang Asli.

Folk Knowledge and Perceptions about the Use of Wild Fruits and Vegetables–Cross-Cultural Knowledge in the Pipli Pahar Reserved Forest of Okara, Pakistan

“…Despite all the studies that have been conducted over the last 10 years, the full potential of wild edible resources has still not been realized. This is one of the most burning issues that deserves the attention of the scientific community, with special emphasis on the economic benefits and their role in the sustainability of rural areas [ 49 ]. In the Pipli Pahar region, almost all WFVs and their products were not considered as saline products.…”

The importance of wild edible plant and macrofungi diversity to attain food security for the tribes of eastern India—a quantitative study

“…Since last two decades researches on wild edibles have gained momentum in the Asian continent also. Series of articles have been published from different parts of Southeast Asia (Erskine et al, 2015;Sujarwo et al, 2016;Bernadas and Peralta, 2017;Ong and Kim, 2017;Shin et al, 2018;Pawera et al, 2020;Punchay et al, 2020;Seav et al, 2021;Tharmabalan, 2023) and South Asia, particularly from China (Kang et al, 2013;Sachula et al, 2020;Cheng et al, 2022Cheng et al, , 2023, Pakistan (Ahmad and Pieroni, 2016;Ijaz et al, 2022;Khalid et al, 2023), and India (Mallick et al, 2020;Harisha et al, 2021;Angmo et al, 2022).…”

Diversity and utilization of indigenous wild edible plants and their contribution to food security in Turkana County, Kenya

“…Antioxidants act as radical scavenger, hydrogen donor, electron donor, peroxide decomposer, singlet oxygen quencher, enzyme inhibitor, synergist, and metal-chelating agents (Lobo et al, 2010). Besides, IWEPs are used regularly across many communities in the world for their medicinal value (Chauhan et al, 2018;Tharmabalan, 2023).…”