Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
(eISSN: 2229-4473)
Nutritional and mineral profiling of Myrica esculenta Buch. -Ham. ex D. Don: an economically important wild fruit from the Himalayas
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Research Articles | Published: 19 May, 2026
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Keywords: n Myrica esculentan , Nutrient profiling, Mineral analysis, Genotype selection, Himalaya
Abstract
Myrica esculenta is an economically important wild edible plant native to the Indian Himalaya. The present study aimed to evaluate the nutritional quality and identify superior genotypes among ten geographically distinct populations of M. esculenta from Himachal Pradesh. Morphological traits, proximate composition, and mineral content of fruits were analyzed over two consecutive years (2018–2019). Among the studied populations, the Rajgarh population exhibited significantly higher fruit weight (2018: 0.78 ± 0.03 g; 2019: 1.01 ± 0.01 g), moisture content (2018: 72.30 ± 1.92%; 2019: 62.47 ± 0.98%), soluble protein (2018: 4.19 ± 0.06%; 2019: 4.87 ± 0.08%), and ascorbic acid content (2018: 0.42 ± 0.02%; 2019: 0.35 ± 0.03%) compared to other populations, indicating its potential suitability for selective cultivation. Across all populations, fruits were found to be rich in carbohydrates (2018: 88.50 ± 0.92%; 2019: 85.04 ± 0.76%), energy content (2018: 382.22 ± 2.27%; 2019: 398.68 ± 3.35%), and essential minerals, including Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, K, and Zn. Morphological and mineral analyses revealed both significant (p < 0.05) and non-significant (p > 0.05) variations among populations, whereas proximate composition showed predominantly non-significant variation. Overall, the results suggest that targeted propagation of nutritionally superior genotypes could enhance nutritional security and increase the chemical potential of M. esculenta in the Himalayan region.
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Author Information
Faculty of Science and Technology, ICFAI University, Baddi, Solan, , India