IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i4p1410-d1335253.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Ethnobotanical Investigation of Mimusops zeyheri , an Underutilized Indigenous Fruit Tree in Gauteng Province, South Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Maropeng Erica Matlala

    (School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Private Bag X11283, Mbombela 1200, South Africa)

  • Peter Tshepiso Ndhlovu

    (School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Private Bag X11283, Mbombela 1200, South Africa)

  • Salmina N. Mokgehle

    (School of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Private Bag X11283, Mbombela 1200, South Africa)

  • Wilfred Otang-Mbeng

    (School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Private Bag X11283, Mbombela 1200, South Africa)

Abstract

In developing countries, the livelihoods of millions of households heavily rely on wild fruit products to meet their basic needs. With its many nutritious assets, Mimusops zeyheri could, therefore, be valued as a natural resource for fighting hunger, poverty, malnutrition and food insecurity in developing countries. Indigenous fruit trees remain underutilized and harvested in the wild, with few cultivated sustainably. The study aimed to explore and document the various uses of M. zeyheri . Using face-to-face, semi-structured questionnaires, an ethnobotanical survey was collected among 53 participants using purposive sampling in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. Descriptive statistics and ethnobotanical indices, such as Use Value (UV) and Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), were used for analysis. M. zeyheri was reported to have various uses, which included but was not limited to food and medicine. It was found that the most commonly used plant components were fruits (47%) and leaves (22%). Decoction (39%) was the most popular method of preparation. M. zeyheri has become scarce in the surveyed communities, presumably due to extensive habitat destruction caused by population increases. Therefore, due to its scarcity, it does not significantly improve the livelihoods or overall well-being of local communities. This study suggests that M. zeyheri could improve food and economic security if thoroughly investigated and cultivated on a large scale.

Suggested Citation

  • Maropeng Erica Matlala & Peter Tshepiso Ndhlovu & Salmina N. Mokgehle & Wilfred Otang-Mbeng, 2024. "Ethnobotanical Investigation of Mimusops zeyheri , an Underutilized Indigenous Fruit Tree in Gauteng Province, South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:4:p:1410-:d:1335253
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/4/1410/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/4/1410/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thyberg, Krista L. & Tonjes, David J., 2016. "Drivers of food waste and their implications for sustainable policy development," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 110-123.
    2. Wells, Jasmine J. & Stringer, Lindsay C. & Woodhead, Anna J. & Wandrag, Elizabeth M., 2023. "Towards a holistic understanding of non-native tree impacts on ecosystem services: A review of Acacia, Eucalyptus and Pinus in Africa," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    3. Shabnum Shaheen & Nidaa Harun & Raina Ijaz & Naila Mukhtar & Muhammad Ashfaq & Fozia Bibi & Muhammad Ali & Zaheer Abbas & Zaryab Khalid, 2023. "Sustainability Issues in Conservation of Traditional Medicinal Herbs and Their Associated Knowledge: A Case Study of District Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-26, April.
    4. Abiodun Olusola Omotayo, 2017. "Economics of farming household’s food intake and health-capital in Nigeria: A two-stage probit regression approach," Journal of Developing Areas, Tennessee State University, College of Business, vol. 51(4), pages 109-125, October-D.
    5. Alexandre Antonelli, 2023. "Indigenous knowledge is key to sustainable food systems," Nature, Nature, vol. 613(7943), pages 239-242, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Caviedes, Julián & Ibarra, José Tomás & Calvet-Mir, Laura & Álvarez-Fernández, Santiago & Junqueira, André Braga, 2024. "Indigenous and local knowledge on social-ecological changes is positively associated with livelihood resilience in a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    2. Nik Masdek Nik Rozana & Wong Kelly Kai Seng & Mohd Nawi Nolila & Sharifuddin Juwaidah & Wong Wang Li, 2023. "Antecedents of sustainable food waste management behaviour: Empirical evidence from urban households in Malaysia," Management & Marketing, Sciendo, vol. 18(1), pages 53-77, March.
    3. EiÄ aitÄ—, Ovidija & Baležentis, Tomas & RibaÅ¡auskienÄ—, Erika & MorkÅ«nas, Mangirdas & MelnikienÄ—, Rasa & Å treimikienÄ—, Dalia, 2022. "Food waste in the retail sector: A survey-based evidence from Central and Eastern Europe," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    4. Vittoria Pilone & Naomi di Santo & Roberta Sisto, 2023. "Factors affecting food waste: A bibliometric review on the household behaviors," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(7), pages 1-21, July.
    5. Adam J. M. Devenish & Petra Schmitter & Nugun. P. Jellason & Nafeesa Esmail & Nur M. Abdi & Selase K. Adanu & Barbara Adolph & Maha Al-Zu’bi & Amali A. Amali & Jennie Barron & Abbie S. A. Chapman & Al, 2023. "One Hundred Priority Questions for the Development of Sustainable Food Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-23, October.
    6. Hannah Barker & Peter J. Shaw & Beth Richards & Zoe Clegg & Dianna M. Smith, 2023. "Towards Sustainable Food Systems: Exploring Household Food Waste by Photographic Diary in Relation to Unprocessed, Processed and Ultra-Processed Food," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-19, January.
    7. Ng, Sin Jin & Li, Bing & He, Zhengyang & Han, Jing-Cheng & Munir, Muhammad Tajammal & Wu, Xiaofeng & Huang, Yuefei, 2023. "Global phosphorus cycling: The impact of international commercial trading and the path towards sustainable phosphorus management," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    8. Theodoridis, Prokopis K. & Zacharatos, Theofanis V., 2022. "Food waste during Covid- 19 lockdown period and consumer behaviour – The case of Greece," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    9. Christina Marouli, 2024. "Food waste interventions: Barriers on the way to sustainable food systems," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(1), pages 367-380, February.
    10. Busisiwe Nkonki-Mandleni & Abiodun Olusola Omotayo & David Ikponmwosa Ighodaro & Samuel Babatunde Agbola, 2021. "Analysis of the Living Conditions at eZakheleni Informal Settlement of Durban: Implications for Community Revitalization in South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-16, February.
    11. Sharvini, Siva Raman & Stringer, Lindsay C., 2025. "Challenges and solutions for food waste-based biogas in Malaysia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    12. Abiodun Olusola Omotayo & Abeeb Babatunde Omotoso & Saidat Adebola Daud & Oluwadara Pelumi Omotayo & Babatunde Afeez Adeniyi, 2022. "Rising Food Prices and Farming Households Food Insecurity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Policy Implications from SouthWest Nigeria," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-20, March.
    13. Ludovica Principato & Alessio Leo & Giovanni Mattia & Carlo Alberto Pratesi, 2021. "The next step in sustainable dining: the restaurant food waste map for the management of food waste," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 2021(3), pages 189-207, September.
    14. Ovidija Eičaitė & Gitana Alenčikienė & Ingrida Pauliukaitytė & Alvija Šalaševičienė, 2021. "Eat or Throw Away? Factors Differentiating High Food Wasters from Low Food Wasters," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-16, September.
    15. Zhang, Da & Huang, Qingxu & He, Chunyang & Wu, Jianguo, 2017. "Impacts of urban expansion on ecosystem services in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, China: A scenario analysis based on the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 115-130.
    16. Habib, Muhammad Danish & Kaur, Puneet & Sharma, Veenu & Talwar, Shalini, 2023. "Analyzing the food waste reduction intentions of UK households. A Value-Attitude-Behavior (VAB) theory perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    17. Mehran Ullah & Biswajit Sarkar & Iqra Asghar, 2019. "Effects of Preservation Technology Investment on Waste Generation in a Two-Echelon Supply Chain Model," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-20, February.
    18. Nataliya Apanovich & Seth Asare Okyere & Stephen Leonard Mensah & Seth Opoku Mensah, 2025. "Community-Based Circular Food Systems and Sustainable Development Synergies in Semi-arid Cities: Lessons from Tucson, Arizona," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 5(3), pages 1809-1834, June.
    19. Alaa M. S. Azazz & Ibrahim A. Elshaer, 2022. "Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, Social Media Usage and Food Waste Intention: The Role of Excessive Buying Behavior and Religiosity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-14, June.
    20. Beata Bilska & Marzena Tomaszewska & Danuta Kołożyn-Krajewska, 2022. "The Management of Meals in Food Service Establishments in the Context of Food Waste—Results of Focus Group Interviews with Employees and Owners," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-17, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:4:p:1410-:d:1335253. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.