Wild edible plants of Northeast India: A tripartite review of nutritional, pharmacological and market value

Abstract

Background: Global food and nutritional insecurity, excavated by reliance on a narrow range of staple crops, has intensified micronutrient deficiencies worldwide. Wild edible plants (WEPs), embedded in indigenous knowledge systems, represent underutilized resources with nutritional, pharmacological, and economic potential. The North-Eastern Region (NER) of India, situated within two global biodiversity hotspots, harbors rich floral diversity and traditional WEP usage, yet their scientific validation and commercial exploration remain limited.

Methods: A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature published between 2000 and 2025 was conducted using Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and related databases. Studies were screened using predefined keywords focusing on nutritional composition, pharmacological activities, bioactive compound isolation, commercial utilization, and value addition.

Results: Among the initially retrieved records, 24 studies addressed nutritional aspects, 15 studies focused on commercial utilisation and 88 studies investigated medicinal uses. After applying the predefined eligibility criteria, 13 nutritional studies, 8 commercial utilisation studies and 63 medicinal utilisation studies were retained for qualitative synthesis, resulting in a total of 84 studies included in the final review. The findings indicate that many WEPs exhibit high protein, dietary fibre, essential micronutrient content, and diverse phytochemicals with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic properties. Despite demonstrated bioactivity, large-scale commercialization and standardization remain limited.

Conclusions: Among the initially retrieved records, 24 studies addressed nutritional aspects, 15 studies focused on commercial utilisation and 88 studies investigated medicinal uses. After applying the predefined eligibility criteria, 13 nutritional studies, 8 commercial utilisation studies and 63 medicinal utilisation studies were retained for qualitative synthesis, resulting in a total of 84 studies included in the final review. The findings indicate that many WEPs exhibit high protein, dietary fibre, essential micronutrient content, and diverse phytochemicals with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic properties. Despite demonstrated bioactivity, large-scale commercialization and standardization remain limited.

Keywords: Northeast India, Wild edible plants, Nutraceuticals, Bioactive compounds, Value addition