Wild and cultivated vegetables of the Indian Himalaya and their use as vegetables and in traditional medicine

ABSTRACT

A wide range of vegetable plant species grow in high altitude, cold climatic conditions. Traditional local vegetables are rich sources of nutrients and vitamins with potential health benefits. Medicinal uses of different types of vegetables of the Himalayan region have been exploited by the local population because of limitations of healthcare system in remote locations. Identification and conservation of valuable vegetable species are necessary for their utilization as food and ethno-medicinal purposes. Phytochemical and nutritional constituents of 14 species in the Amaranthaceae, Araceae, Asteraceae, Athyriaceae, Brassicaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Lamiaceae, and Polygonaceae families in the Himalayan region and their use in traditional medicine are presented. These vegetables can be explored in other parts of the world for their nutritional and health benefits.

KEYWORDS:

• Food
• medicinal remedies
• nutritional value
• plant

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Director, Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research, Haldwani for technical support.