Ethnoecological Survey of Underutilized Plant Diversity of Hamirpur District, Himachal Pradesh, India: An Edibility Assessment

The present study was conducted to explore diversity and status of underutilized wild edible plants of Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh, India. Total 85 plant species of 66 genera belonging to 39 families under various life forms and origins were recorded; in which, 30 species as trees (25 native and 5 exotic), 11 shrubs (6 native and 5 exotic), 28 herbs (10 native and 18 exotic) and remaining 16 were creepers (12 native and 4 exotic). Edibility index (EI) showed 100% score of edibility by two species, while 80% was shown by 11 species, 40% by 3 species and remaining 69 species showed 10 to 30% only. Across family, maximum utilization efficiency (10 score) was found only in 2 families (Apiaceae and Violaceae), while 5 families (Chenopodiaceae, Commelinaceae, Liliaceae, Oxalidaceae and Portulaceae) have shown 8 and one family (Amaranthaceae) exhibited 5.8 score followed by 31 other families. In this study, it was observed that consumption mode of various plant parts were either fresh or cooked. In conclusion, present study may help in alleviating food scarcity, malnutrition and can be employed further as commercial crop plants for the welfare of human in developing countries.


Introduction
Plants have been playing an important vital role in human society. Evidently, about 40k to 100k species of plants have been used regularly in different geographical region for food, fodder, medicine, fiber, fuel, oil, timber, cultural and industrial purposes etc. ( [1], [2], [3]).There are over 20,000 edible species as wild plants in the world [4], until now only 30(thirty) plants are used to meet the 90% world's food requirement ( [5], [4]). Only few staple crops such as wheat, rice, maize and millet produces majority of food supply globally. Due to global rise in population with projected nine billion people by 2050 [6], one of the greatest challenges facing world today is to feed the teeming population.
Several countries including India suffer famines and food shortage, although they have the potential to produce adequate nutritional food for the population [7]. It will be difficult to meet daily global requirement calories by three or four staple crops. Therefore, broader range of plant species which are neglected or underutilized plants can contribute significantly to meet the requirement of healthy diet, appropriate food and energy requirements of each human being. These underutilized plants can be a good alternative source of food demand and contribute toward food security, nutrition, health and income generation [8].
Information regarding these plants is not properly documented from certain remote areas especially from hilly regions. Some plant species have regional importance grown by local people and some plants grow wild and are used by local people to meet their energy need and to get healthy food. Some such plants like Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and Raggi (Eleusine coracana) with high nutritive content have been introduced as substitute of staple crops in some region but still remain unexplored or underutilized ( [9], [10], [11]). Similarly, Bamboo shoots are underutilized as food but now are being projected as a health food ( [12], [13]). However, a large proportion of wild edible plants are used for eating and for medicinal purposes in different regions of India but use of wild plants without sufficient knowledge may give rise to adverse effects [14]. Though ethno-botanical studies are increasing, but traditional knowledge of many plants has not been documented yet properly [15]. Although, wild edible plants is a main component of underutilized plants, in various life forms, while distributed in different ecosystems. However, there are about 1532 edible wild food species reported in India [16]; in which, over 675 species are known from Indian Himalayan region [3], and it is estimated that 800 species are 14 Ethnoecological Survey of Underutilized Plant Diversity of Hamirpur District, Himachal Pradesh, India: An Edibility Assessment consumed as wild edible plants chiefly by tribal people [17]. Himachal Pradesh is a hilly state having vast diversity of plants and also known as store house of traditional, locally adopted indigenous and naturalized species (might be exotic) that providing fruits, vegetable and medicines etc. are lesser known or unexploited. These plants might have high nutritive potential and could be of great potential towards solving problems of food security. Evidently, some studies have been conducted and provided ample information regarding edibility of wild species. For example, Chauhan et al., [18] documented 34 tree plants of 14 families from Pabbar valley district Shimla; Rana et al., [19], studied 67 species and reported 22 species used as food from remote and tribal areas of Panghi valley from Chamba district; whereas, Sharma et al., [20] reported 43 wild edible plants from Murari Devi and surrounding area of Mandi district. Similar studies also been reported from other parts of Himachal Pradesh ( [21], [22], [23]).
However, information regarding the ethno-ecological purpose of the plants has not been documented extensively in Himachal Pradesh as whole and no work has been conducted in the selected study area Hamirpur. Hence there is a need to document the folk and traditional knowledge of edible underutilized plants used by local people. So present study was conducted to estimate diversity and status of edible underutilized and wild plants and its edibility, utilization efficiency and consumption mode with following objectives: a) to estimate the diversity, utilization efficiency and consumption mode of collected plant species, b) to explore the traditional information of plants used for edible purposes by local people and c) to find out the probability of proper utilization of these underutilized plants for the food and pharmaceutical industry. We consider collected all these underutilized plants as "edible wild plants" because they are directly produced from pristine nature and growing without intentional cultivation which includes prevalently being indigenous and naturalized species. Also, admitted with two assumptions, 1) that wild edible plants are indeed having with multiple uses from several components (root, stem, leaf etc.) for food and medicinal purposes if collecting at any appropriate stage of growth and properly prepared; 2) we did not pay any attention on negative role of the plant species listed as exotic species excepts its edibility and uses. Although, many floristic assessments from various parts of India conducted and reported that about 30-40 % herbaceous flora of the total are not indigenous in nature while they are from other place of origin. Many of them from exotic species have been naturalized and pay good ecosystem services to the local people.

Study Sites
The study area comprises of several villages of Hamirpur district located at the south western part of Himachal Pradesh.
It lies between 76 0 -17 ' ˗50" to 76 0 -43'-42" east longitudes and 31 0 -24'-48" to 31 0 -53'-35" north latitudes ( Figure 1). It is covered by lower Himalayas; the elevation varies from 400 to 1100 meters. The district is covering an area of 1118 km 2 of total geographical region of the state and it is bounded in the north by river Beas which separates from Kangra district and in the east, Bakar and Seer Khads separates from Mandi district, whereas in the south, it is bounded by Bilaspur district and in the west by Una district. The climate is mainly sub-tropical and is not much hilly being closer to the plains. Annual average rainfall is about 1520 mm, where maximum rain fall occurs in the month of July to September and minimum in the months of April to June. In this region, demographic structures are mixed tribal communities along with other different castes such as Brahmins, Rajputs, Kolis, Khatti, and Dumanas etc. However, tribal population in this region is mainly Gujjar and Gaddis at the interior parts migrated from Chamba and Lahul Sapiti.

Experimental Design, Sampling and Monitoring Methods
Field study was conducted at selected sites of Hamirpur district (sub-divisional area of the district known as tehsil), Himachal Pradesh during the period of 2013 to 2015. Therefore, three tehsils named as: Nadaun, Barsar and Hamirpur, in each tehsil, 10 Panchayat (includes of several villages) were selected for study. At each Panchayat, five households were taken from each village as informants for inquiring and collecting information. Selection of informants at each village at Panchayat was made by following criteria: 1) each household should have knowledge about plants, 2) household must have awareness about use and application of local plants for edible as well as for medicinal purposes, 3) Environment and Ecology Research 5(1): [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]2017 15 household must have used to local climate and environment 4) household must be resident of the selected area. Therefore, in total, 300 informants (100 informants per tehsil) were interviewed across sites.
Field survey and sampling was carried out to collect information regarding status, utilization and edible sense of wild plants with involvement of local informants from each selected number of villages (2 villages of each Panchayat). Therefore, collected information was monitored at each selected Panchayat to take proper interaction and interview in respect to proper utilization of wild plants for food purposes.
In order to get satisfactory survey, a questionnaire was prepared pertaining to several required aspects and it was circulated among the informants. The information was collected in the native dialect (Pahari-close to Hindi), and recorded on the native names of the plants and their various uses for which plants are employed or used by the local people. The plant and its utility were assessed on the basis of consensus and confirmation by agreement of number of informants when data were pooled and subjected for statistical calculation.
Voucher number of each recorded plant was indexed with an established code (13E001 to 13E0085) and specimens of all the plants reported to be edible were collected, and herbarium was prepared. Each plant specimen was also visually documented with digital camera (Nikon P-500 model) for future prospect and proper records. Collected plant specimens were commonly available and known by the local people were identified in the field; while unidentified plants were identified at the herbarium center of Department of Botany, Panjab University Chandigarh (one of key herbarium Centre in country), India for proper identification.
In this paper, we simply reported edibility of total collected plant species based upon collected information across various informants and sites, also explained their mode of consumption, utilization efficiency and the number of uses as species-wise, family-wise of each species is discussed. Informant consensus data was subjected to statistical analyses, for example, to understand role of informants and variability of sites were analyzed for analyses of variance by SPSS version 14.0.

Edibility Index
In this study, a component wise use was developed and given weighted scale values according to the use size of each component; it was categorized into ten components of each plant having utilization for edible purposes, therefore, each component is allocated with 10 percent weighted score to calculate the values for this index.
In addition, summation of each aerial component use of each edible plant such as leaf, flower, fruit, seed, stem, resin, gum and shoot has been categorized as a whole aerial plant parts (WAP) and further summation of total component use as whole plant (WP) is given as 100 percent weighted score. Therefore EI (%) of each component will have minimum score as 10 percent and maximum will be 100 percent, therefore, EI of each species is calculated as: Where, EI = Edibility index, PUi = parts used of i th species, WPU i = whole plant use of i th species.

Status of Edible Plants Diversity
In this study, total 85 plant species of 66 genera belonging to 39 families were collected as edible plants from selected sites at Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh (Table 1). Vegetation composition at selected sites were distributed in various life forms; of which, 30 species areas trees (35.3%, 25 native and 5 exotic), 11 shrubs (12.9%, 6 native and 5 exotic), 28 herbs (33.0%, 10 native and 18 exotic) and remaining 16 as creepers (18.8%, 12 native and 4 exotic) are presented in Figure. 2. However, significant number of the recorded edible plant species were trees followed by herbs (most dominant life form), while other growth forms of the plant like shrubs and creepers were sparsely distributed ( Figure 2).
In order to get more clarity and status of edible plant species, a family-wise distribution of collected plants is assessed and presented in Figure 3. Out of all plant species, maximum number of species were found from family Moraceae    The tubers are edible after processing. After removing small rootlets, the tubers are boiled in water, cooled down and skin is removed. Then they are cut into small slices. These slices are put in container or perforated basket; kept in stream of water to remove the acrid contents of the tuber. Also, chips can be prepared. Used in form of vegetable.

Edibility Index
Edibility index (EI) is one of the important indices which may give authentic information of edible sense of each species. EI was calculated and represented on a percent base weighted score. It has been developed on a component-wise use of each plant species which categorized into several components like root, stem, shoot, leaf and flower etc. Therefore, whole plant components were scored on a scale of 10-100 percent ( Table 2). Out of total 85 species, 2 species showed hundred percent, eighty percent by 11 species, 40 percent by 3 species and remaining other species (69) showed 10-30 percent, respectively (Figure 4).

Utilization Efficiency
Another index i.e. utilization efficiency (UE) per species per component is constructed in this study. UE was calculated on the basis of plant parts used of all recorded edible species within a family divided by total number of species recorded of each family. Values estimated for maximum utilization efficiency will be not more than 10 and not less than 1 for each family; therefore, recorded values of UE across family will be ranged from one to ten. Highest utilization efficiency (10) was found in two families: (Apiaceae and Violaceae) which indicates hundred percent utilization of all components for edible purposes, after that, corresponding values for collected members of five families (Chenopodiaceae, Commelinaceae, Liliaceae, Oxalidaceae and Portulaceae) have shown eight utilization efficiency which is significantly better than other remaining families (17) in which UE is only one which indicate at least one component is edible; while 14 families had more than one and less than four UE ( Figure 5).Exceptionally, only one family (Amaranthaceae) had 5.8 UE score because the family members are herbaceous in nature and they had better utilization as leafy vegetable (Figure. 5).

Mode of Consumption
Consumption of wild plants for the food purposes are perhaps storehouse of traditional knowledge acquired by local people. It was observed in this study that consumption mode of various plant parts were used as mainly as fresh or cooked form. Maximum numbers of wild plants as fruits are generally eaten raw when they ripe and usually unripe fruits, seeds, flowers and leaves are cooked as vegetables ( Figure 6). Across component-wise use, highest number of edible species was used as fruits eaten as raw as well as cooked followed by other components. However, leaf and leaf-shoot were used as cooked for vegetable, which was the most applicable consumption mode after fruits. Although, other components such as tubers, young stem-shoots, seeds/pods etc. are minimally used.  In case of certain edible plants, conventional and non-conventional processing is essential to make it palatable. For example, shoots of Bamboo, Agave and Thor shoots (Euphorbia royleana) are peeled off or outer hard part is removed, cut into small pieces, then boiled in water to remove it bitterness, then fried and cooked. However, some plants can be directly consumed without processing. Underground parts or tuber require washing, slicing and boiling for particular time to discard the acrid content of the tuber. Leaves of Jangli Kachalu (Colocasia esculenta) are steamed before cooking into vegetable. Flower buds of Kachnaar (Vauhinia variegata) is boiled in water, squeezed off and then cooked into vegetable.

Edible Plant Diversity and Its Edibility
Wild edible plants are the alternative source of food which plays an important role to meet the nutritional requirements of the local people in remote or rural areas of India as well as in the other developing countries of the world. The documentation of traditional knowledge on utilization by the local people of wild plants and its nutritive values is one of the main objectives of this study as the most of traditional information of these plants is still poorly documented. At global level, particularly developing countries, large number of population do not have sufficient food for their daily need. Moreover, the food they consume is deficient of nutrients [24]. The present study indicates the potential of underutilized plants as the source of non-conventional food which can be good source of potential food supplements and cheaper alternative food across the hilly regions [3]. In addition, many of these plants are rich in minerals and vitamins and may act as potential nutraceutical supplements. Consumption of these fruits, vegetables is known to lower the risk of several life style diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke etc. ( [18], [3]).
Himalayan region is the main storehouse of wild edible plants as it is evident through the studies ( [25], [16]). In present study, 85 edible plant species were explored from selected sites. On the basis of plant parts used; out of 85 species, maximum plant species are utilized as fruit (45 species) followed by leaf (13 species), whole aerial part (WAP, 12 species), flower/ inflorescence (9 species), seeds (6 species), tuber (6 Species), stem-shoot (3 species), whole plant (WP, 2 species) and 2 species as gum and one species as resin (Figure. 7). In conformity with this, Sharma et al. [20], reported 25 wild edible plants used as fruit, 22 as leaf and 13 used as root from Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh confirms that edible wild plants have substantial access to search food for future prospect.
Some plants have shown substantial edible quality that might be a good hope for searching new quality-wise edible plants particularly rich with nutritive values. Literature survey indicates that study concerning exploration and documentation of wild edible plants in India is certainly not a new task, it is perhaps linked with scale of pre-historic developmental period. However, the research conducted on such plants is not comprehensive and integrative e.g. Sehgal and Sood, [26] reported nutritional components of only one wild edible fruit (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) and moreover some studies have been reported on medicinal, traditional and ethno botanical aspects but not focused on diversity and status of underutilized edible plants in the same region. Kumar and Choyal [27] recorded 16 plants traditionally used for curing snake bites by the Local rural people and ethno botanical notes of 26 plant species [28]; 91 plant species used for curing different ailments by Sharma et al., [20] and Devi et al., [29], recorded 20 plants from Fabaceae and Solanaceae families for ethno-medicinal purposes. In conformity with this, 9 species of Moraceae family were reported by Sharma and Mishra [22], (study was conducted at Bilaspur district in Himachal Pradesh).
It is widely accepted that traditional knowledge is very valuable resource which may provide useful leads for scientific research [21]. Most of wild edible or underutilized plants traditionally consumed either as raw fruits, cooked leafy and tuber vegetables having nutritive rich elements diets which can compensate dietary deficiency of nutrients and vitamins necessary for human [30]. In the present study, it was observed that consumption mode of various plant parts were used as mainly cooked or as fresh; of which, maximum numbers of wild plants as fruits are generally eaten raw when they ripe and also unripe fruits, seeds, flowers and leaves are used as cooked in form of vegetables (described in Figure 6). Across component-wise usage, highest number of species Environment and Ecology Research 5(1): 13-29, 2017 25 (45) was used as fruits followed by other components like leaf (13), whole aerial part (12), flower (9), seed (6), tuber and root (6), gum & resin (4) stem &shoot (3), and whole plant (2), respectively ( Figure. 7). In this study, however, consumption of leaf and leaf shoot as cooked vegetable was major mode of consumption after fruits. Sharma et al. [20], who conducted a study on wild edible plants in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, also reported that maximum species (25 spp.) were used as fruits followed by leaves (22 spp.) and roots (13 spp.). Based on general perceptions of the local people, fruits are indeed rich source of protein and energy; therefore it can be used to combat malnutrition [31]. However, after fruits and leaf, other parts like tubers, young shoots and inflorescence shoots etc. are less consumed e.g. Due to several reasons, the use of some plants is day by day declining; however, more specifically it was observed that local people are changing traditional living style and adopting modern lifestyle rapidly, therefore, exploration regarding edibility and nutrient components of the wild plants is an urgent need of the hour. Furthermore, which can be a basis to solve the problem malnutrition especially in developing countries where malnutrition and food security are main issues [32]. Moreover, conservation and harnessing of those useful wild species can be taken for future prospects.

Role of Edible Plant Species on Human Health Issues
In general, those wild plant species have been reported across tropics or any habitat from the globe having certain amount of medicinal sense. Since wild edible plants have played an important role in human life since time immemorial particularly in the rural and tribal communities, who depends upon wild food resources to get food and remedies of ailments. Therefore, it is again pressure on tribal communities who are residing in remote, mountainous and adjacent to the forest areas where no proper facilities of transportation and any kind of health care system is available. Hence, local and tribal communities are bound to search wild flora for food and medicinal purposes.
However, main objective of our present study was to explore edibility assessment of the underutilized wild flora because information concerned to this is substantially lacking while a significant number of documents are found in literature on ethno medicinal and ethno-botanical purposes, therefore, we found medicinal uses of almost all recorded species in the literature. Details are given in the Table 3. Many of the edible wild plants that are included in local food baskets have both therapeutic (medicinal) and dietary functions. In addition, several wild edible plant species having rich macro and micronutrients qualities with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, which are essential to check diseases and for better health. From a nutritional viewpoint, it is important to pay attention to this group of traditional foods for several reasons. Their direct nutritional contribution is often significant but neglected and not well understood.  [44]).

Ziziphus mauritiana
Fever, Blood purifier, Diarrhoea and Digestive disorder [37] Due to insufficient scientific evidences on about health benefits of regular consumption of small quantities of medicinal foods, many of important medicinal plant species from wild regions are still waiting for proper diagnosis and investigation. According to Abbasi et al. [40], the traditional plant medicines may be the contribution of small quantities of trace minerals and vitamins. Further, they expressed that wild plants are found in uncultivated land, such as forests, which have not been depleted of minerals, and also act as alternative source of micro-nutrients for cultivated crops [46]. Many studies reveled that consumption of wild edible plants might be an important mediator for curing different disease and may be fed as food supplements to chalk out and fill the gap of deficient food in mineral and micro-nutrients( [34] , [35] , [36], [40]). Wild edible plants could prove clinically useful for improving the health and disease outcomes among the food insecure. Documentation of these plant species, traditional uses, nutritive and medicinal properties, ecological status could benefit the health of human and animals in the societies. The current research suggests that wild edible plants should be considered in studies examining health concerns in food insecure populations.

Conclusions
The existing observations indicate that the local people of Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh, India who are particularly living in remote and high altitude areas mainly rely upon the plant resources adjacent to their surroundings to meet their day-to-day requirements. But today new generation is continuously forgetting the use of local recourses as food and depends upon staple food plants only. To replace the existing burden on staple crops to meet the need of whole population, there is an urgent need to explore 28 Ethnoecological Survey of Underutilized Plant Diversity of Hamirpur District, Himachal Pradesh, India: An Edibility Assessment other alternative food plants having rich potential and excellent source of energy. For this, nutritional prospects of the plants need to be worked out which can help to overcome the nutritional deficiencies especially in remote areas.
In conclusion, in this study, we found that maximum numbers of wild edible plants are used as fruit and leaf followed by other components. Generally, fruits are eaten as raw when they ripe and usually unripe fruits, seeds, flowers and leaves are cooked as vegetables. Majority of edible plants do not require processing whereas some plants need to be processed. Therefore, there is also a need to find out the traditional method of food processing and status of nutrients after processing in addition to documentation and exploration of wild plants for better edibility, investigation for their role in maintaining aesthetic ecosystem and environment for local people. The Food and Agricultural organization (FAO) already recognizes that 'nutrition and biodiversity converge to a common path leading to food security and sustainable development 'can play as a key role in global nutrition security' [5].