Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Micronutrient analysis of some wild underutilized plants from the Ladakh region, India and their potential role in addressing nutritional deficiencies
*Article not assigned to an issue yet
Research Articles | Published: 31 December, 2024
First Page: 0
Last Page: 0
Views: 661
Keywords: Minerals, Vitamins, Malnutrition, Nutritional security
Abstract
Wild edible plants have garnered significant attention as a valuable supplement to cultivated vegetables, offering an accessible and nutrient-rich source of essential mineral elements. In this study, the leaves of underutilized species such as Cicer microphyllum Benth., Hippophae rhamnoides L., Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds., Rumex patientia L., Taraxacum officinale L., Sonchus oleraceus L. and Urtica dioica L. from Ladakh, known for their edibility but scarcely documented in the scientific literature, are comprehensively analyzed for their mineral composition. The analysis revealed that potassium was the predominant macro-element in the studied plants, followed by calcium, with moderate levels of magnesium, silicon, and sulfur. Among the micro-elements, iron emerged as the most abundant, with notable amounts of manganese, copper, and zinc also observed. Additionally, the plants exhibited significant levels of vitamins, with Sonchus oleraceus being particularly rich in vitamin A, while Hippophae rhamnoides showed high concentrations of vitamins C and E. The findings highlight the nutritional potential of these underutilized species as valuable sources of essential minerals and vitamins. These plants hold great promise not only for addressing nutritional gaps, particularly in regions with limited access to diverse food sources, but also for promoting sustainable food systems. Their adaptability to harsh climates and no cultivation requirements make them a critical resource for enhancing dietary diversity and fostering food security in remote and ecologically fragile areas like Ladakh.
References
Alemayehu D, Desse G, Abegaz K, Desalegn BB, Getahun D (2016) Proximate, mineral composition and sensory acceptability of homemade noodles from stinging nettle (Urtica simensis) leaves and wheat flour blends. Int J Food Sci Nutr Eng 6:55–61
Apel K, Hirt H (2004) Reactive oxygen species: metabolism, oxidative stress, and signal transduction. Annu Rev Plant Biol 55:373–399
Ballabh B, Chaurasia OP (2011) Herbal formulations from cold desert plants used for gynecological disorders. Ethnobot Res Appl 9:059–066
Burlingame B, Charrondiere UR, Mouille B (2009) Food composition is fundamental to the cross-cutting initiative on biodiversity for food and nutrition. J Food Comp Anal 22:361–365
Chacha JS, Laswai HS (2020) Micronutrients potential of underutilized vegetables and their role in fighting hidden hunger. Int J Food Sci 9408315
Chivenge P, Mabhaudhi T, Modi AT, Mafongoya P (2015) The potential role of neglected and underutilized crop species as future crops under water-scarce conditions in Sub-saharan Africa. Int J Environ Res Public Health 12:5685–5711
Chongtham N, Bisht MS, Santosh O, Bajwa HK, Indira A (2021) Mineral elements in Bamboo shoots and potential role in Food Fortification. J Food Composit Anal 95:103662
Danso KE, Serfor-Armah Y, Nyarko BJB, Osae S, Osae EK (2001) Determination of some mineral components of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) using instrumental neutron activation analysis. J Radioanal Nucl Ch 250:139–142
Deekshika B, Praveena LB, Hemanth S, Sukumaran MK (2015) Estimation of ascorbic acid content in fruits & vegetables from Hyderabad, India for a theoretical assessment of vitamin C activity. Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci 4:96–99
Desire MF, Blessing M, Elijah N, Ronald M, Agather K, Tapiwa Z, Florence MR, George N (2021) Exploring food fortification potential of neglected legume and oil seed crops for improving food and nutrition security among smallholder farming communities: a systematic review. J Agric Food Res 3:100117
Epstein E, Bloom AJ (2005) Mineral Nutrition of Plants: Principles and Perspectives (2nd Edition). Sinauer Associates
Escudero NL, De Arellano ML, Fernández S, Albarracín G, Mucciarelli S (2003) Taraxacum officinale as a food source. Plant Foods Hum Nutri 58:1–10
FAO (2018) The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018: building climate resilience for food security and nutrition. FAO, Rome
Gibson RS (2011) Strategies for preventing multi-micro nutrient deficiencies: a review of experiences with food-based approaches in developing countries. Food-based approaches, Combating micronutrient deficiencies, pp 7–27
Idris OA, Wintola OA, Afolayan AJ (2019) Comparison of the proximate composition, vitamins (ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol and retinol), anti-nutrients (phytate and oxalate) and the GC-MS analysis of the essential oil of the root and leaf of Rumex crispus L. Plants 8:51
Ioana TF, Biriș-Dorhoi SE, Pînzariu D, Vlad A, Lumperdean CC, Băbălău-Fuss V, Tofană M (2020) Research on the obtaining of gluten free pasta made of vegetal powders fortified with dandelion extract rich in bioactive compounds with functional role. Hop Med Plants 1–2:170–177
Jan KN, Singh S (2017) Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.): a reservoir of nutrition and bioactive components with great functional potential. J Food Meas Charact 11:423–433
Jimoh FO, Adedapo AA, Afolayan AJ (2011) Comparison of the nutritive value, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Sonchus asper and Sonchus oleraceus. Rec Nat Prod 5:29–42
Kala CP (2011) Floral diversity and distribution in the high altitude cold desert of Ladakh, India. J Sust Foresty 30:360–369
Kapur A, Hasković A, Čopra-Janićijević A, Klepo L, Topčagić A, Tahirović I, Sofic E (2012) Spectrophotometric analysis of total ascorbic acid content in various fruits and vegetables. Bull Chem Technol Bosne Herceg 38:39–42
Lee JJ, Oh HK (2015) Nutritional composition and antioxidative activity of different parts of Taraxacum coreanum and Taraxacum officinale. J Korean Soc Food Cult 30:362–369
Mahood HE (2021) Estimation of essential elements and mineral in Catharanthus roseus and its biological importance as a medicinal plant. Plant Cell Biotechnol Mol Biol 22:1–7
Maietti A, Tedeschi P, Catani M, Stevanin C, Pasti L, Cavazzini A, Marchetti N (2021) Nutrient composition and antioxidant performances of Bread-making products enriched with stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) leaves. Foods 10(5):938
Maqbool MA, Aslam M, Akbar W, Iqbal Z (2018) Biological importance of vitamins for human health: a review. J Agric Basic Sci 2:50–58
Marschner P (2012) Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants (3rd Edition). Academic Press
Mawunu M, Pedro M, Lautenschläger T, Biduayi FM, Kapepula PM, Ngbolua KN, Luyeye FL, Luyindula N (2020) Nutritional value of two underutilized wild Plant leaves consumed as Food in Northern Angola: Mondia Whitei and Pyrenacantha Klaineana. Eur J Nutr Food Saf 116–127
Mishra GP, Singh N, Kumar H, Singh SB (2010) Protected cultivation for Food and Nutritional Security at Ladakh. Def Sci J 60(2)
Nirmala C, Shahar B, Dolma N, Santosh O (2022) Promising underutilized wild plants of cold desert Ladakh, India for nutritional security and health benefits. Appl Food Res 2:100145
Njoku NE, Ubbaonu CN, Alagbaoso SO, Eluchie CN, Umelo MC (2015) Amino acid profile and oxidizable vitamin content of Synsepalum dulcificum berry (miracle fruit) pulp. Food Sci Nutr 3:252–256
Pădureţ SERGIU, Amariei S, Gutt G, Piscuc B (2016) The evaluation of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) properties as a valuable food ingredient. Rom Biotechnol Lett 21:11569
Raskh S (2020) The importance and role of calcium on the growth and development of children and its complications. Int J Res Appl Sci Biotechnol 7:162–167
Ritchie H, Roser M (2017) Micronutrient deficiency. Our World in data
Rosa W (2017) Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. A New Era in Global Health: Nursing and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development p. 257
Samancioglu A, Sat IG, Yildirim E, Ercisli S, Jurikova T, Mlcek J (2016) Total phenolic and vitamin C content and antiradical activity evaluation of traditionally consumed wild edible vegetables from Turkey
Sampurna R (2019) Changes in nutritional composition and anti-nutritional factors of sisnu in hot water and steam blanching and cooking method. PhD diss., Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Central Campus of Technology Institute of Science and Technology Tribhuvan University, Nepal 2019. http://202.45.146.37:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/138
Shah SM, Amin M, Gul B, Begum M (2020) Ethnoecological, elemental, and phytochemical evaluation of five plant species of lamiaceae in Peshawar, Pakistan. Scientifica. 2982934
Shahar B, Indira A, Santosh O, Dolma N, Chongtham N (2023) Nutritional composition, antioxidant activity and characterization of bioactive compounds from Thymus serpyllum L.: an underexploited wild aromatic plant. Measurement: Food 10:100092
Sharma VK, Dwivedi SK, Awasthi OP, Verma MK (2014) Variation in nutrient composition of seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) leaves collected from different locations of Ladakh. Indian J Hortic 71:421–423
Singh G, Kawatra A, Sehgal S (2001) Nutritional composition of selected green leafy vegetables, herbs and carrots. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 56:359–364
Soetan KO, Olaiya CO, Oyewole OE (2010) The importance of mineral elements for humans, domestic animals and plants-A review. Afr J Food Sci 4:200–222
Stevens GA, Beal T, Mbuya MN, Luo H, Neufeld LM, Addo OY, Adu-Afarwuah S, Alayón S, Bhutta Z, Brown KH, Jefferds ME (2022) Micronutrient deficiencies among preschool-aged children and women of reproductive age worldwide: a pooled analysis of individual-level data from population-representative surveys. Lancet Global Health 10:e1590–e1599
Stihi C, Popescu IV, Gheboianu A, Frontasyeva M, Ene A, Dima GABRIEL, Bute O, Cimpoca V, Stihi V, Oros C (2008) Mineral content of native vegetables obtained by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. J Sci Arts 9:332
Stobdan T, Chaurasia OP, Korekar G, Mundra S, Ali Z, Yadav A, Singh SB (2010) Attributes of Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) to Meet Nutritional requirements in high altitudes. Def Sci J 60:226–230
Tunçtürk M, Eryiğit T, Kaya AR (2017) Nutritional properties, minerals, and selected heavy metal contents in herby cheese plants of Lamiaceae. Appl Biol Chem 60:41–47
Author Information
Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India