Nutritional prospects of some wild edible medicinal plants of District Harnai Balochistan, Pakistan

ULLAH, Asmat; Anjum, Shaista; Masood, Ayeesha; Batool, Huma; KAKAR, Hidayatullah; Shafique, Munib Ahmed; Nadeem, Sidra; Pónya, Zsolt; Ismail, Tariq

doi:10.1590/fst.115922

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The soil composition determines the composition and quantity of elements present in these plants [46]. The of such essential and vital elements in wild plants has also been detected and reported by other researchers in their studies [47][48][49][50][51]. study showed that these WEPs could potentially supplement crucial nutrients and elements in the food and nutrition of beings.…”

Section: Elemental Analysismentioning

confidence: 76%

Exploring Wild Edible Plants in Malakand, Pakistan: Ethnobotanical and Nutritional Insights

Ibrahim,

Akhtar,

Wahab

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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Human beings have used wild edible plants (WEPs) for food since ancient times. The poor and underprivileged people of the district of Malakand, Pakistan, also depend on wild edible plants (WEPs) to fulfill their food and nutrition needs. Wild edible plants (WEPs) are a potential solution for overcoming food shortages for families living in rural areas. The current study evaluated the ethnobotanical, nutritional, and elemental potential of some wild edible plants (WEPs) commonly used by local people in the district of Malakand, Pakistan. Ethnobotanical information was collected from local people through a semi-structured questionnaire. The ethnobotanical information collected about wild edible plants revealed that two wild edible species belong to the family Fabaceae, two plant species belong to the family Polygonaceae, and one plant species belongs to each family Amaranthaceae, Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Malvaceae, Oxalidaceae, and Portulaceae. The plants collected were all herbs, and the parts used as edible parts were mostly leaves and young shoots. All the collected plants were predominantly used as vegetables by local people. The proximate nutritional analysis was carried out according to the official methods of AOAC (from 2016). The proximate nutritional analysis revealed that the selected WEPs are a good source of important nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, fats, and caloric energy. The proximate nutritional analysis of selected WEPs revealed that the highest (%) moisture content was calculated in Nasturtium officinale W.T. Aiton (90.45 ± 0.3); the highest dry matter (%) was present in Oxalis corniculata L. (21.60 ± 0.2); the highest ash (%) in Chenopodium album L. (17.80 ± 0.3); the highest crude fibers (%) in Meliolotus indicus (L.) All (16.45 ± 0.5); the highest crude protein (%) in Meliolotus indicus (L.) All (14.40 ± 0.1%); the highest crude fats (%) in Rumex hastatus Don. (3.80 ± 0.04); the highest percentage of carbohydrates in Portulaca oleracea L. (65.38 ± 0.6); and the maximum energy value was calculated for Portulaca oleracea L. (321.38 ± 0.4 Kcal/100 g). The elemental analysis of wild edible plants (WEPs) was carried out through energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The EDX analysis showed that these WEPs consist of crucial and imperative elements such as C, O, N, P, Mg, K, S, Ca, Al, Si, Cl, Fe, Cu, Na, and Zn, which are integral parts of the human diet. Following the results of the EDX elemental analysis, Portulaca oleracea accounted for the highest concentration (%) of carbon, Oxalis corniculata accounted for the highest concentration (%) of oxygen, and Nasturtium officinale accounted for the maximum concentration of nitrogen (9.70%). The current study revealed that the research area is rich in diversity of wild edible plants (WEPs), a cheap and economical food source for locals. The study also showed that these wild edible plants (WEPs) possess all the crucial nutrients and elements imperative for human food and health. These wild edible plants (WEPs) will play a key role in a sustainable food system in the future.

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