NUTRITIVE VALUES OF WILD EDIBLE FRUITS, BERRIES, NUTS, ROOTS AND SPICES CONSUMED BY THE KHASI TRIBES OF INDIA

摘要

Fourteen wild edible berries, fruits, roots, and nuts consumed by the Khasi tribe of Meghalaya were botanically identified and analyzed for their nutrient contents in terms of macronutrients, minerals, and vitamins. The study revealed that Coix lachryma jobi, a nut, was rich in protein (13.3 g %), Zanthoxylum acanthopodium, a spice, rich in fat (20.9 g %), and Solanum indicum, a berry, rich in crude fiber (47.2 g %). Castanopsis indica, a nut, contained good amounts of calcium (1540 mg %), Kaempfariagalanga, a root, considerable amounts of iron (69.91 mg %) and zinc (8.4 mg %), and Vangeria spi-nosa, a fruit, a good amount of zinc (23.0 mg %). The berry Solanum indicum contained 826.4 mg % of vitamin C, whereas Prunus nepalensis contained beta-carotene (257.1 mu g %) and vitamin C (608.9 mg %). It can be concluded that the wild edibles eaten by the Khasi are a good source of nutrients, and considering their low cost and easy availability, need to be popularized and recommended for commercial exploitation.