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Asian Journal of Plant Science and Research, 2013, 3(6):95-100

ISSN : 2249-7412

CODEN (USA): AJPSKY

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Wild edible fruits of Kokrajhar district of Assam, North-East India

Sanjib Brahma1, Hwiyang Narzary2 and Sanjay Basumatary3*

1Department of Botany, Science College, Kokrajhar, Assam, India

2Department of Biotechnology, Bodoland University, Kokrajhar, Assam, India 3Department of Chemistry, Bineswar Brahma Engineering College, Kokrajhar, Assam, India

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT The present study deals with the identification, documentation and exploration of wild edible fruits consumed by Bodo tribe of Kokrajhar district of Assam, North-East India. Fruits constitute a major part of daily food intakes and play an important role in well-balanced diet and maintain healthy living. The wild fruits have a great socio-economic significance because of their food and medicinal values. Exploration, documentation, preservation and popularization of wild fruits are very important as chief sources of food for human consumption. In this paper, a total of 32 wild edible fruits belonging to 23 families were recorded with their scientific names, family, local names in Bodo, time of availability, taste and uses. Key words: Wild edible fruits, Kokrajhar district, Bodo tribe, Assam. _____________________________________________________________________________________________

INTRODUCTION

Wild edible fruits play a significant role in rural areas by providing nutrient supplementary diet and generating side income to the poor people. Wild fruits can be considered as rich sources of various vitamins, minerals, fibers and polyphenols which provide health benefits [1-8]. Consumption of wild fruits reduces the risk of several diseases like diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, neurodegenerative ailment [9-15]. A scientific investigation of wild edible fruits is urgently needed to assess the potentiality which would be cultivated and utilized as a source of food material for an ever increasing population. Assam (89°50/ E to 96°10/ E and 24°30/ N to 28°10/ N), a North Eastern state of India, is rich in biological biodiversity [16]. Kokrajhar district (89°46/ E to 90°38/ E and 26°19/ N to 26°54/ N) is the gateway to Assam and other NE states of India by road as well as railways. The district has a total area of 3,169.22 sq. km. of which 1,636.26 sq. km. is under reserved forests. The district has the largest concentration of forest area (51.63% of the total geographical area) in the state of Assam and is rich in forest resources. The total population of Kokrajhar district is 8,86,999 according to 2011-Census. Kokrajhar district is located on the north bank of the river Brahmaputra and shares the international boundary with Bhutan in the north and interstate boundary with West Bengal in the west. The district is bounded by Dhubri district on the south, Chirang and Bongaigaon district on the east. The main inhabitants of Kokrajhar district are Bodo, Rava, Garo, Bengali, Nepali, Santhal, Rajbongshi, Orao etc. of which Bodo tribe constitutes the majority in the district.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Several rounds of field visit to various parts of villages and forest areas in Kokrajhar district of Assam (North-East India) were carried out at different seasons of the year during 2012-2013. During survey, live specimens along with photographs were taken and interacted with local vegetable vendors and villagers for local identification and to

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assess the traditional knowledge on wild edible fruits. Questionnaire was prepared for the collection of data such as local name, time of availability, taste and uses as food. Fruits were collected and preserved in the Department of Botany, Science College, Kokrajhar for further investigation. The plant species were identified by interacting and discussing with the local vegetable vendors and villagers, and by referring relevant scientific literatures [1, 17-21].

Menya spinosa (Mwina)

Aegle marmelos (Bel)

Ziziphus mauritiana (Bwigri)

Averrhoa carambola (Kamrenga)

Garcinia cowa (Taika)

Melastoma malabathricum (Tingku)

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Cassia fistula (Sonalu)

Solanum indicum (Kuntainara)

Dillenia indica (Taigir)

Spondius pinnata (Taisuri)

Terminalia bellirica (Bhaora)

Ottelia alismoides (Khar)

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Ficus racemosa (Adumbra)

Anthocephalus cadamba (Kwdwm)

Tamarindus indica (Tintlang)

Elaeocarpus floribundus (Jolpi)

Terminalia chebula (Seleka)

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The present study in Kokrajhar district could document a total of 32 wild edible fruits belonging to 23 families that have been using by Bodo tribe since several generations. The indigenous traditional knowledge about uses of these plant species i.e. food, medicine etc. is preserved from generation to generation which is very essential to be used in near future. Majority of the fruits are eaten as raw when ripe, some are taken as vegetable and as pickles. The wild fruits of the present study area arranged in alphabetically with their scientific names, family, Bodo name, time of

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availability, taste and mode of uses are shown in Table 1 and a total of 17 photographs of 17 plant species are also presented in this paper.

Table 1. List of wild edible fruits of Kokrajhar district (Assam)

Sl. No. Scientific name Family

Bodo Name Time of availability Taste Uses

1 Averrhoa carambola L. Averrhoaceae Kamrenga November-March Sour Fruits are eaten raw. It is considered medicinal and given to jaundice patient.

2 Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. Serr. Rutaceae Bel February-April Sweet Fruits are eaten raw and used for stomach trouble, constipation etc.

3 Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb. Moraceae Daowa May-July Sweet Fruits are eaten raw. 4 Annona reticulata L. Annonaceae Balam November-December Sandy-sweet Fruits are eaten raw. 5 Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. Rubiaceae Kwdwm June-August Sweet Fruits are eaten raw. 6 Bischofia javanica Bl. Phyllanthaceae Taiso June-July Sandy-sweet Fruits are eaten raw.

7 Baccaurea ramiflora Lour. Euphorbiaceae Lerko June-August Slightly sour, sweet

Fruits are eaten raw.

8 Citrus medica L. Rutaceae Nareng asi September-November Sour Fruits are eaten raw. 9 Cassia fistula L. Fabaceae Sonalu December-February Sweet Fruits are eaten raw.

10 Dillenia indica L. Dilleniaceae Taigir September-December Sour, slightly sweet

Fruit (fleshy calyx) are eaten raw and cooked as vegetable.

11 Elaeocarpus floribundus Bl. Elaeocarpaceae Jolpi October-January Sour Fruits are eaten raw or as pickles.

12 Flacourtia jangomas (Lour.) Raeusch. Salicaceae Ponel May-July Sweet Fruits are eaten raw. 13 Ficus racemosa L. Moraceae Adumbra April-July Sweet Fruits are eaten raw. 14 Garcinia cowa Roxb. Clusiaceae Taika June-July Sour Fruits are eaten raw. 15 Garcinia xanthochymus Hook.f. & T. Clusiaceae Tempwr May-July Sour Fruits are eaten raw. 16 Menya spinosa Roxb. ex Link Rubiaceae Mwina October-December Sweet Fruits are eaten raw. 17 Morus indica L. Moraceae Gongar taisib January-February Sweet-sour Fruits are eaten raw. 18 Melastoma malabathricum L. Melastomataceae Tingku November-January Sweet Fruits are eaten raw.

19 Nymphaea nouchali Burm. f. Nympheaceae Toblo May-October Slightly bitter Fruit are eaten cooked as vegetable.

20 Ottelia alismoides (Linn.) Perssoon Hydrocharitaceae Khar September-December Slight salty Fruits are eaten raw.

21 Phyllanthus emblica L. Euphorbiaceae Amblai May-November Sour Fruits are eaten raw or dried and also taken as pickles.

22 Rubus lucens Foecke Rosaceae Mwiki pitai November-January Sweet Ripe fruits are eaten. 23 Sterculia villosa Roxb. Sterculiaceae Odal May-June Almond-taste Fruits are eaten fried. 24 Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels Myrtaceae Jambu gwswm June-July Sweet Fruits are eaten raw. 25 Syzygium jambos L.(Alston) Myrtaceae Jambu May-July Sweet Fruits are eaten raw.

26 Spondius pinnata (L.f.) Kurz. Anacardiaceae Taisuri September-December Sour, slightly bitter

Fruits are eaten raw.

27 Solanum indicum L. Solanaceae Kuntainara May-November Bitter

Fruits are eaten fried as vegetable and also considered medicinal for worm infection and skin diseases.

28 Trapa natans L. Trapaceae Sugreng November-December Starchy-sweet

Fruits are eaten raw.

29 Terminalia bellirica Roxb. Combretaceae Bhaora December-February Almond-taste Fruits are eaten raw. Highly medicinal

30 Terminalia chebula Retz. Combretaceae Seleka October-December Bitter

Highly medicinal and fresh or dried fruits are chewed after meal as digestive.

31 Tamarindus indica L. Fabaceae Tintlang November-February Sour, slightly sweet

Both unripe and ripe fruits are eaten raw or as pickles or as chutney.

32 Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. Rhamnaceae Bwigri January-February Sour, slightly sweet

Fruits are eaten raw or as pickles.

CONCLUSION

A total of 32 wild plant species mainly wild fruits used for human consumption belonging to 23 families have been reported in the present study. Wild fruits are inexpensive, locally available and rich in nutritive value. They have a great socio-economic significance because of their food and medicinal values. Mass attention is needed to protect and popularize the wild fruits among the people and further research is needed for analysis of nutritional and medicinal values.

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Acknowledgement The authors are thankful to local vegetable vendors, villagers and informants for their kind assistance, useful informations and all the people who help directly or indirectly in carrying out the field studies. H. Narzary is grateful to Biotech Hub, Department of Biotechnology, Bodoland University for financial assistance for the study.

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