ABSTRACT
Wild edible plants (WEPs) refer to species that are neither cultivated nor domesticated, but are available from their wild natural habitat and used as resources of food. WEPs have been a focus of research for many ethnobotanists. There is a renewed global interest in documenting ethnobotanical information on neglected wild edible food sources. In a developing country like India, traditionally wild edible fruits are the only fruits consumed by rural people. The native fruits collected from wild edible plants play a major role in the food and nutrient security of rural poor in general and tribal mass in particular. WEPs are the major source of minerals, vitamins, and fiber, and also provide essential nutrients for human health. The nutritional value of many wild edible plants found to be comparable with cultivated commercial fruits. Many wild edible plants are reported to have antinutritional properties like oxalate, phytate, tannin, and saponin.
