Executive Summary : | The study aims to collect ethnobotanical data on wild edible vegetables from seven ethnic tribal groups in Mizoram, including Hmar, Lai, Paite, Mara, Bawm, Chakma, and Lusei. The collected plant species will be molecularly identified and deposited in the NCBI GenBank database for future reference. A questionnaire will be based on ethnobotanical information, a market survey, and a direct matrix ranking (DMR). The ethnobotanical indices will be evaluated, and the fidelity level (Fl) will be determined for the most common ethnomedicinal plants cited by informants. DMR will be calculated to know the multipurpose uses of the species and show important species at high risk due to overuse by local people. A market survey will be conducted in all 11 districts of Mizoram, and the price of commonly sold wild edible vegetables will be studied. Traditional food recipes of the indigenous wild edible vegetables will be documented from different households, and solvents will be optimized and selected for extraction. Phytochemical screening will be performed, and the nutritional composition, phytochemicals, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activity will be evaluated. Mineral and heavy metal content will be evaluated using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), MP-AES, and CHNS analyzer, and checked with the permissible limit of FAO/WHO safe limit (2001). |