Abstract
Nowadays, there is a large demand for nutrient-dense fruits to promote nutritional and metabolic human health. The production of commercial fruit crops is becoming progressively input-dependent to cope with the losses caused by biotic and abiotic stresses. A wide variety of underutilized crops, which are neither commercially cultivated nor traded on a large scale, are mainly grown, commercialized and consumed locally. These underutilized fruits have many advantages in terms of ease to grow, hardiness and resilience to climate changes compared to the major commercially grown crops. In addition, they are exceptionally rich in important phytochemicals and have medicinal value. Hence, their consumption may help to meet the nutritional needs of rural populations, such as those living in fragile arid and semi-arid regions around the world. In addition, local people are well aware of the nutritional and medicinal properties of these crops. Therefore, emphasis must be given to the rigorous study of the conservation and the nutritional characterization of these crops so that the future food basket may be widened for enhancing its functional and nutritional values. In this review, we described the ethnobotany, medicinal and nutritional values, biodiversity conservation and utilization strategies of 19 climate-resilient important, underutilized fruit crops of arid and semi-arid regions (Indian jujube, Indian gooseberry, lasora, bael, kair, karonda, tamarind, wood apple, custard apple, jamun, jharber, mahua, pilu, khejri, mulberry, chironji, manila tamarind, timroo, khirni).
Highlights
The world population (7.87 billion) is currently growing at a rate of 1.03% per year and is expected to reach around 9.6 billion in 2050
In the current Global Hunger Index (GHI), India stands at position 101 of 116 countries; this presents a gloomy situation in combating malnutrition, eventually affecting the socio-economic progress [2]
This paper reviews the importance of 19 underutilized fruit crops endemic to Indian arid and semi-arid conditions, and their adaptation mechanism to stress conditions, genetic diversity, ethnobotany, medicinal and nutritional values and possible ways for their conservation and potential exploitation for improving nutritional and socio-economic security of the regions
Summary
The world population (7.87 billion) is currently growing at a rate of 1.03% per year and is expected to reach around 9.6 billion in 2050. Worldwide demand of nutrient-dense fruit has increased immensely in recent years for enhancing people’s nutritional status and for their positive effects on immune and metabolic health This is interesting considering the COVID-19 pandemic scenario. Specific growing areas may be utilized for exploiting the potential of underutilized crops producing edible fruits that meet the food and nutritional demand of local population. Most indigenous underutilized fruit crops, such as ber, kair, aonla, lasora and phalsa, are richer in minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients compared to many commercial fruit crops These underutilized fruits are not very popular and are sold at very low prices in the local markets because of the lack of (a) people’s awareness of their nutritive values, (b) consumption habits, (c) limited research and (d) developmental policies by the government agencies for their potential exploitation. This paper reviews the importance of 19 underutilized fruit crops endemic to Indian arid and semi-arid conditions, and their adaptation mechanism to stress conditions, genetic diversity, ethnobotany, medicinal and nutritional values and possible ways for their conservation and potential exploitation for improving nutritional and socio-economic security of the regions
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