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Gnetum L., an underutilized plant of India: distribution and ethnobotany

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Abstract

Tribal communities use a combination of traditional knowledge, observation, experimentation, and expertise to identify plants and their uses. The genus Gnetum L., belonging to the family Gnetaceae, is a group of plant species that is extensively used by different tribes in India. There are seven species of Gnetum found in India, viz. Gnetum gnemon L., G. latifolium Blume, G. oblongum Markgr., G. montanum Markgr., G. edule (Willd.) Blume, G. parvifolium (Warb.) W.C. Cheng., and G. contractum Markgr. Each species is used differently in different regions of the country by different tribal communities. Various parts of the plants, such as leaves, stems and seeds, are consumed as vegetables and used in the preparation of local cuisine, while some other parts are used for fibre and wood. Gnetum is also known to possess medicinal value and is used for treating a diverse range of diseases, including arthritis, bronchitis, Alzheimer’s disease and asthma. Bioactive compounds belonging to the class of phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, phytosterols, and carbohydrates have also been reported from various species. This review article is focused on the uses of Gnetum in India by indigenous peoples. Nevertheless, scientific knowledge regarding all species remains limited. Hence, more extensive work is needed in this field to support traditional knowledge with scientific validations to introduce and recommend Gnetum as a future healthy food.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Director, CSIR-NBRI, Lucknow for the encouragement and for providing necessary support. AS and AN are grateful to the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, and the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi for research fellowships respectively. Manuscript number: CSIR-NBRI_MS/2023/05/07.

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The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226001, India

    Anoop Shakya, Anisiya Naorem & Jibankumar S. Khuraijam

  2. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India

    Anoop Shakya, Anisiya Naorem & Jibankumar S. Khuraijam

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  1. Anoop Shakya
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  2. Anisiya Naorem
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Contributions

AS- Conceptualization, Software, Validation, Investigation, Writing, Visualization; AN- Conceptualization, Validation, Investigation, Resources, Review& Editing; JSK- Conceptualization, Validation, Review & Editing, Visualization, Project administration, Supervision.

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Correspondence to Jibankumar S. Khuraijam.

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Shakya, A., Naorem, A. & Khuraijam, J.S. Gnetum L., an underutilized plant of India: distribution and ethnobotany. Genet Resour Crop Evol 71, 29–38 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-023-01704-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-023-01704-7

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