Nutritional profiling of two underutilized wild edible fruits Elaeagnus pyriformis and Spondias pinnata

Abstract

Many wild and underutilized edible fruits belonging to different families are found in the remote North- Eastern state of Manipur, India. These fruits may serve as natural source of food supplement to the human beings. Two wild edible underutilized fruits Elaeagnus pyriformis of Elaeagnaceae and Spondias pinnata of Anacardiaceae families were found to have very high nutrient compositions suitable for human health with medicinal properties. Standard protocols for biochemical analysis were employed for nutrient analyses. Spondias pinnata has showed potential contents of antioxidant activity (IC50 518μg ml-1), ascorbic acid (87mg100g-1) and protein of 18.20mg100g-1. While total soluble sugar, reducing sugar and non- reducing sugar was high in Elaeagnus pyriformis with values of 33.9mg100g-1, 17.8mg100g-1 and 16.1mg100g-1 respectively. Significant correlation was observed between ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity of both the fruits. Slightly acidic of medium pH with 77.23% and 82.02% moisture content was recorded in Spondias pinnata and Elaeagnus pyriformis respectively. The work is a brief highlight on these two wild fruits to generate information about their favorable nutritive values as compared to well known fruits.