NUTRITIONAL AND ANTINUTRITIONAL EVALUATION OF SOME UNCONVENTIONAL WILD EDIBLE PLANTS

The wild edible tubers, rhizome, corm, roots and stems were consumed by the tribal Valaiyans of Madurai district, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu were analysed for proximate and mineral composition, starch, vitamins, in vitro protein (IVPD), in vitro starch (IVSD) digestibility and certain antinutritional factors. The tubers of Kedrostis foetidissima and stem of Caralluma pauciflora contain higher contents of crude protein. The tubers of Decalepis hamiltonii and stems of Caralluma adscendens var attenuata and C. pauciflora contain higher contents of crude lipids. All the presently investigated wild edible plants appeared to have a higher level of iron content compared to Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) of NRC/NAS (1980) for infants, children and adults. The tubers of Cissus vitiginea, Dioscorea pentaphylla var. pentaphylla, D. oppositifolia var. oppositifolia, D. spicata, D. tomentosa, Kedrostis foetidissima, Parthenocissus neilgherriensis, in the corm of Colocasia esculenta, in the rhizome of Canna indica and in the root of Ipomoea staphylina were formed to contain more starch. The tubers of Cycas circinalis, Cyphostemma setosum, D. oppositifolia var. oppositifolia, Dioscorea pentaphylla var. pentaphylla, Kedrostis foetidissima, Parthenocissus neilgherriensis, and in the stem of Caralluma pauciflora were found to be higher niacin content. All the investigated samples in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) was found to be low. Antinutritional substances like total free phenolics, tannins, hydrogen cyanide, total oxalate, amylase and trypsin inhibitor activity were also investigated.