Nutraceutical Potential of Underutilized Wild Edible Fruits Endemic to Western Ghats in Southern India

Abstract

Fruits are a quintessential part of a healthy eating pattern and are a source of many vital nutrients. Heed in understanding the nutraceutical potential of underutilized fruits is a sore subject. Globally, a myriad of research has been carried out on many underutilized fruits, and these studies have highlighted their nutritional, ethnobotanical, and ethnomedicinal value. The present chapter focuses on the nutraceutical potential of underutilized wild edible fruits endemic to the south Western Ghats of India. The region is one of the hottest biodiversity hot spots, and the prevailing climatic conditions there, including the topography, wide rainfall variation, and varied temperature, have made it home to many flora and fauna. In recent years, rain-fed orchards have grabbed attention at a national level, and these wild fruits have gained further importance because of their availability all around the year. Apart from this, these serve as a source of food and medicine to native dwellers. The continuous depletion of forest areas due to human intervention has led to the loss of their habitat. The present chapter discusses the nutraceutical potential of selected underutilized fruits endemic to the southern Western Ghats of India.