Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
(eISSN: 2229-4473)
Comparative amino acid profiling of two wild edible fruits, Myrica esculenta and Prunus napaulensis, from Meghalaya, India
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Research Articles | Published: 01 June, 2026
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Keywords: Wild edible plants, Amino acid profiling, Nutritional composition, North-East India
Abstract
This study presents a comparative analysis of the free and total amino acid content of two wild edible fruits, Myrica esculenta Buch. -Ham ex D.Don and Prunus napaulensis (Ser.) Steud., collected from Meghalaya, India. Amino acid estimation was carried out using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), revealing distinct profiles for both species. In M. esculenta, the total amino acid content was 1640.73 µg/100 mg, with individual amino acids distributed over a broad concentration range from 4.525 to 578.541 µg/100 mg. Arginine was present at the lowest concentration (4.525 µg/100 mg), whereas tyrosine showed the highest level (578.541 µg/100 mg). The free amino acid content was comparatively lower (128.82 µg/100 mg), with glutamic acid (93.31 µg/100 mg) being the most prominent. In contrast, P. napaulensis exhibited a higher total amino acid content of 1970.26 µg/100 mg, with significant levels of glutamic acid (722.81 µg/100 mg). The free amino acid content in P. napaulensis was 517.22 µg/100 mg, notably higher than in M. esculenta. These results highlight the nutritional significance of these wild fruits as potential sources of essential and non-essential amino acids, supporting their inclusion in dietary and nutraceutical applications.
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Author Information
Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah, India