Morphological and biochemical traits of some selected underutilised wild edible fruits used by the Sahariya - A PVTGs of Rajasthan

The purpose of the study is to document the wild edible fruits consumed by the Sahariya tribe through open ended questionnaire and morphological and biochemical analysis of four underutilised fruits viz., Buchanania lanzan Spreng., Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb., Flacourtia indica (Burm. f.) Merr. and Miliusa tomentosa (Roxb.) Finet & Gagnep. The study had been carried out in and around villages of Shahabad and Kishanganj blocks of Baran district under South Eastern Rajasthan. A total of 39 wild edible fruits from 22 plant families were recorded and documented. Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb. with higher fruit weight and diameter of 23.55 g and 34 mm respectively and high pulp percentage (>50%) in fruits indicate that wild fruits have a significantly higher amount of consumable portion with a good shelf life (3-7 days at room temperature and 6-15 days in refrigerator). Buchanania lanzan Spreng., Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb. and Flacourtia indica (Burm. f.) Merr. with total soluble solids 26, 22 and 22 (oBrix) respectively and total sugar content 28, 27 and 23% respectively. Buchanania lanzan Spreng. contained the ascorbic acid/vitamin C of 120 mg/100 g which is usually higher than commercially cultivated fruits. The species with the highest pH was Miliusa tomentosa (Roxb.) Finet & Gagnep. (5.4), resulting in the lowest titratable acidity content (0.25%), while Buchanania lanzan Spreng. had the lowest pH (3.9), resulting in the highest titratable acidity content (1.3%). The study shows that wild edible fruits are nutrient rich and well comparable with various commercial fruits.