Use of Wild Edible Plants in Human Nutrition and Contribution as Traditional Medicine – A Review 

By : Bhavna Singh, Hitesh Solanki

Page No: 270-278

Abstract:
India is a highly diverse country in contrast to plants. Due to different geographical areas various types of vegetation are seen in India. Every part of India has unique local food. In our ancient culture, many local plants are used as food which is the source of multiple vitamins and minerals. WEPs have more nutritional value than cultivated plants. WEPs are used as vegetables, fruits, and spices. Different parts of plants like stems, leaves, and flowers are mainly used in cooking for making delicious food, and local people directly consume fruits and seeds. People in urban and semi-urban areas suffer from insufficient or lack of nutrients in their daily diet, and therefore many health-related issues seen in peoples. Local people are used WEPs for proper nutrition and minerals. They consume different plants according to the season and local availability of those plants. This review describes the method of consumption and their nutritional value. Among the different parts of the plant, fruit is the most consuming edible part of the plant. Cucurbitaceae and Rhamnaceae families contribute the highest number of plants as WEPs.
 

Authors:
Bhavna Singh:Research Scholar, Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change Impacts Management, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 
Hitesh Solanki: Professor and Head, Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change Impacts Management, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/JPSR.2025.41.02.7