Indigenous underutilized vegetables for food and nutritional security in an island ecosystem

Indigenous plants are an important component of the traditional food and health systems of rural and tribal communities in tropical regions. However, they do not attract much attention from researchers or in commercial markets. The present study investigated 42 indigenous, under-utilized vegetable plants from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India for their food and ecological values. Predominantly, the plants belonged in the Cucurbitaceae, Amaranthaceae, Moraceae and Plantaginaceae families. Fifty seven percent of the vegetables were observed in home gardens and 21.4% were collected from wild habitats. Most of the indigenous vegetables were perennials (71.4%), and included trees, vines and shrubs. Commercial farmers grew mostly exotic vegetables, while many indigenous and under-utilized vegetables were preferred by tribal and local communities. Herbs with good flavour, taste and crispness were preferred in culinary preparations; vegetables with a bitter taste and unique flavour were considered best for health purposes. The indigenous and under-utilized vegetables contained a wide range of nutrients, including Ca, Fe, polyphenols, carotenoids, ascorbic acid and chlorophyll, although they also often contained anti-nutrients including nitrate, phytate, oxalate and saponins. Our findings support the greater use of indigenous underutilized vegetables as promising and locally accepted options to address micronutrient deficiencies among households in geographically challenged regions such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The study also underlined the need to devise strategies for the promotion of these nutrient-rich indigenous foods to improve the nutrition and livelihoods of vulnerable communities.